Ember Alias
by Ooobserver
Summary: At long last, Finn was granted the gift of maturity, but a gift received out of pain and labor. Now, dedicated completely to the needs of the many rather than his own doused heart, his heroic skills have been called upon to aid the land of flames. How far will he go to protect the Fire Kingdom, and will he be willing to give himself one last chance with its ruler?
1. Reflective Ashes

Reflective Ashes

A warm campfire crackled in the pitch darkness of the surrounding forest, easily attracting the attention of multiple woodland creatures which gathered up behind tree trunks to watch and see who was was the maker of this pleasant little light. Beside the flame was a log, upon which sat a cloaked being, slightly hunching over and facing the bright oranges and reds of the fire.

The mysterious figure raised a hand to the controlled combustion, allowing a strange object to slither off of its wrist and instantly form into an elegant sword, which was plunged into the flames in order to kindle them. A flurry of embers fluttered off the darkened wood as if they were a swarm of scared fireflies, disappearing into the night sky.

Satisfied, the figure retracted the sword back around its wrist, then laid its elbow back on its knee. Some of the animals creeped around to get a better look at the being's face, hoping to end the mystery. In the shining illumination of the fire, the light tan skin of a humanoid was revealed, with a brilliant swirl of fiery orange mixed into his deep blue eyes.

He wouldn't take his sight off the flame, as if trying to peer into it and discover some hidden secret. The creatures surrounding him had no idea how deeply in thought he really was, engaged entirely in the symbolic force of nature in front of him. As the orange continued to reflect in his dark pupils, the sounds of the past began to echo through his mind.

**...**

(3 years ago)

Towering fires encompassed all vision in the eyes of the candy citizens, as they frantically panicked and ran about trying to find an escape. Their homes were all melting and crumbling around them, bringing them closer to the brink of exploding from fear. Banana guards were stationed at every street intersection, doing their best to guide the people in evacuation.

In the meantime, thundering footsteps rattled the ground, as the mighty twin gumball guardians stepped through the burning city, attempting to put out the fires my simply stepping or patting them out. Sadly, this was not only ineffective but causing the two robots some bad burns. They sighed sadly, then gave a brief glance to the candy castle, set ablaze as horrifically as the rest of the kingdom.

The glorious palace was the center of the most attention. Those banana guards that weren't helping the candy population exit the premise were busy throwing pitiful buckets of water on the growing fire. Nothing was working, not a single thing. If that weren't bad enough, not one person knew that the land's monarch was trapped in the highest tower of the raging inferno.

Princess Bubblegum was not there by accident, there were certain materials that she deemed too valuable to lose. As such, she'd stayed behind, against the advice of Peppermint Butler and the other castle staff. She ignored the pleas, determined to preserve her life's work, no matter the cost. Her skin was already beginning to feel softer and less solid, due of course to the advancing fire.

Peebles sighed.

_Where are they?_

Back on the ground, the losing guards backed away, unable to stand the heat any longer. Root Beer Guy ordered them all to leave, knowing it was no use trying to save the building. As the yellow beings all fled to assist with the evacuation, a third set of thundering footsteps entered the fray, drawing the attention of any who weren't in immediate danger and making their eyes gleam with hope.

A giant yellow dog stomped over the falling houses across the city, carrying on his back the smaller form of his partner in heroism. The two quickly came upon the candy castle's outer limits, where the stretchy canine shrunk down to normal size, letting off his human companion. Both ran up to Root Beer Guy, hoping for a status report.

"RBG, what the nuts happened?!" Jake shouted in shock.

The glass-faced captain quickly turned to the castle and gazed solemnly at it.

"There was an outbreak. Some kids were playing with matches in an alley behind the palace. It quickly spread to the rest of the kingdom, mostly due to the current Hot Fudge Festival, which gave the fires an easy material to move along. The whole place is going down."

Finn and Jake were stunned.

"Burn down **and** smell like chocolate? That's just too cruel. Dude, we've got to stop this jazz."

The human beside Jake nodded.

"Yeah! Wait, where's PB?"

Root Beer Guy suddenly grew wide-eyed.

"Oh no..."

All three guys peered at the blazing castle, spotting the figure of a pink lady on the topmost balcony, carrying a large mass of books and documents.

"Oh my Grob! Peebs!"

Finn swung over to face Jake.

"Dude, we need to do something!"

Jake was about to speak but his bro interrupted.

"I'll climb up and save Peebles, while you find a way to put out the fires."

The magic dog frowned.

"Finn, I can stretch up there in literally a few seconds and just grab her. You should be the one to- hey!"

The young hero had already bounded away, throwing himself at the wall of the castle and quickly extending his grass sword to dig into the material for support. He then proceeded to frantically climb the wall in a determined manner to reach the top. As he was avoiding the occasional falling chunk of flaming candy, the boy grinned to himself.

_Saving PB from a burning castle, this is exactly what'll bring up my rep. Maybe the word will spread, and I'll be even more awesome to the peeps of Ooo. Then, maybe...the news will reach the Fire Kingdom...and..._

He trailed off in his thinking, mostly because of another falling piece of the walls. Eventually though, he reached the highest tower and quickly threw himself onto its balcony. Upon grunting from the fall to the floor, Finn stood up and looked around. PB was already staring at him with relief.

"Finn! Thank Gob! Wait, where's Jake?"

The human ran up and took the princess in his arms, surprising her momentarily.

"I came up myself. Come on, we're getting out of here."

The candy monarch was shocked.

"What? Finn, you dingus, Jake could've stretched us out of here in no time!"

The boy paid no mind to the comment and ran back to the edge of the balcony, swiftly jumping over the edge and thrusting his grassy blade back into the sweet wall. The extra weight slowly began dragging them toward the ground, staying firmly stuck to the wall as the grass sword sliced the building clean down. Peebles was worried.

"Finn, causing more damage to the castle won't help anything!"

The human just smiled.

"It's cool, Prubs, we're already halfway down. No prob."

The princess held her nervous expression as the ground came nearer. Suddenly, a loud cracking was heard from the palace, and a web of breaks grew from the deep cut Finn's weapon had left in the building. The two beings sliding down grew stunned as an entire section of the wall above them suddenly broke off and began falling right on them. For the moment, their speed was outpacing gravity, but the slab of candy was quickly gaining momentum.

The moment Finn felt his legs touch the ground, he turned to sprint away and dodge the tumbling debris with the princess safely in his arms. However, his grass sword was still tightly jammed into the wall, which had partially melted and clung to the green blade like glue. Since the weapon was attached to Finn indefinitely, the human instantly panicked and looked up, seeing the wall about to crush him and Bubblegum. Both cried out in fear as the mass drew closer.

Just before impact, the entire length of the object was sliced in half, with each side smashing down on either side of the two humanoids in its path. They both gazed with astonishment at the bisected rubble. The act was followed by Finn's sword being cut halfway down its blade, releasing him from the wall as the weapon quickly regenerated itself.

Utterly bewildered, PB and Finn were only answered when a set of agile legs hit the ground, belonging to a cloaked being with a robotic body, rapier, and squinted eyes.

"Ratteballs!" Peebles shouted with gratitude.

The loyal swordsman turned and bowed to the princess.

"It was my duty to aid you. But now, you must leave the area. There is much to be done."

As if to backup the robot's statement, the ground rumbled, followed by the emergence of the gumball guardians from above the towering flames. Both had massive hoses clamped onto their backsides. A moment later, the twin protectors opened their mouths, letting loose a cascade of water that bathed the castle in damp salvation. The fires hissed painfully as their might was rapidly diminished by the overwhelming hydration.

Steam filled the air as the palace began to stabilize, cooled quickly by the retreating combustion. Soon, the building was put out, standing vigilantly after having taken a most nasty beating. The gumball guardians next turned their jets onto the rest of the kingdom, letting out a rain of water that ate away at the hazardous flames. At long last, the city stopped crumbling, leaving behind at the least a small percentage of the structures intact.

As the guardians walked off, dousing what remained of the fires, Jake emerged from the distance, shrinking down to where PB, Finn, and Rattleballs were gathered. The dog's human brother smiled at his approaching brother.

"Dude! Was that water deal your biz?"

Jake finished stretching down, but had a displeased look on his face, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, it was. That was something you could've easily done. I grabbed a few hoses, jumped into the sewers, and gave the all clear when the guardians were all set up. In fact, you would've been more fitting for the job, considering your agility and junk. You'd have been down that manhole in seconds."

Finn frowned and motioned to Bubblegum.

"But...I saved PB."

Jake shook his head.

"No, you didn't. I saw what happened. You two would've been pancaked if it wasn't for speedy here."

He gestured to Rattleballs. Meanwhile, Peebles walked up to the boy.

"He's right, Finn. The kingdom, and me, would've been in much better condition if you had done the duty that was best suited for you."

The young hero frowned more.

"But...no one would see me being heroic if I was crawling around in a sewer."

The three beings around him were shocked.

"Is that what it was all about? Recognition? Are you nuts?" Jake shouted, utterly infuriated.

Finn's face grew a bit red as he hung his head.

"I...well..."

PB shook her head, looking quite disappointed. She turned and walked away to go speak with Root Beer Guy about the damages. Jake stepped up to Finn.

"What is the matter with you? Who are you trying to impress anyway?"

The human stuttered for a few seconds, before his bro came upon a realization.

"Is this- is this seriously about Flame Princess? All that junk from last week? With the takeover and Cinnamon Bun and everything?"

Finn didn't respond, which gave Jake all the answer he needed. The dog threw up his arms and walked off.

"Unbelievable!"

Once the yellow canine was out of sight, Rattleballs went over to the shamed human.

"Finn, you placed your desperate attempts to win back a girl over the safety of the Candy Kingdom. This is _not_ the path of a hero, or even a protector, such as myself."

The boy just kept staring down at the burnt candy ground.

"I...I just wanted to fix everything."

Rattleballs placed a hand on the young hero's shoulder.

"But in doing so, you have destroyed much more."

Finn nearly gasped, suddenly being hit with the full force of his actions.

"Destroyed..."

He looked up, scanning the ruined horizon of the kingdom and all of its blackened buildings. His mouth trembled, only now understanding how devastating the fires had been. While he was enthralled with the destruction, Princess Bubblegum came back over, beginning to speak with the gumball robot.

"Thank you so much, Sir Rattleballs. I am forever grateful."

The swordsman simply bowed.

"It is but my humble duty to protect the kingdom and its fair ruler."

PB nodded with a smile, then sighed.

"Well, we won't be able to live here for a while. Luckily, I had a secret backup plan."

Rattleballs was curious.

"What might that be?"

Peebles pulled out a holo-pendant, which displayed an image of a vaguely similar city to the Candy Kingdom.

"In the event of a major disaster, I had a secondary emergency kingdom built, hidden deep within the cotton candy forest."

She deactivated the hologram and placed the device back in her dress pocket.

"Until the gumball guardians can repair the place, I'm afraid we'll all have to relocate to it for the time being."

Rattleballs solemnly nodded, understanding the situation.

"Very well, I shall be on my way."

The swordsman was out of sight in an instant, disappearing into the ruined city. PB then turned to Finn, who had remained silent the entire time.

"Finn, I'm very disappointed in-"

"**I'll** do it."

The princess was thrown from her train of speech.

"Excuse me?"

The human slowly raised his head and turned to look the monarch in the eyes. She was shocked by the boy's expression. It was blank, but also retaining a look of sorrow and acceptance.

"I'll rebuild the kingdom...alone."

PB furrowed her brow.

"What? That's insane! It would take you years just to make any progress. I'm not stopping you from helping, especially since your actions contributed to this mess,, but the guardians will-"

Finn held up his hand.

"No. PB, you'll need the guardians to protect your backup kingdom. Don't tie up any of your people. I'll take care of it."

Bubblegum was astounded.

"Finn...you...you'll never have time for anything if you take on a project such as this. I'm not going to allow you to do it."

She stepped closer to the boy, now wearing a face of concern.

"It's true that you should take responsibility, but that doesn't mean you have to throw your younger years away. You have to have some time to enjoy youth before it slips away."

Finn was suddenly angry.

"Being young?! A kid?!"

He gestured to the surrounding ruins.

"Does this look like something I want be a part of because my boy brain is too stupid to grow up?"

Peebles was stunned by his tone.

"Finn, calm down."

The human shook his head.

"No. I won't. And I don't care. If I can keep myself busy with a punishment until I get my grown-up smarts, then I'll gladly do it."

He gazed seriously into the princess's eyes.

"Please, Prubs. I'm...I'm tired of sponking everything up."

A moment of silence commenced, in which the candy monarch stared with amazement at her hero. His blue eyes, normally filled with joy and childish excitement, were now occupied only by a deep sadness and need to escape. Escape from what, PB could only guess.

"Alright."

She lowered her eyes to the ground, feeling a growing seed of guilt.

"Finn the Human, I hereby charge you with the total restoration of the Candy Kingdom."

The boy gently nodded.

"Thank you, princess."

He turned and walked off, likely to grab whatever he would need for the colossal undertaking he had just accepted. Peebles watched sadly, wishing that he hadn't been so gravely struck by his actions. Still feeling the tang of guilt, PB walked off to prepare for the immigration to the backup kingdom.

**...**

(Present time)

The final glow of the fire's fuel went out, leaving the forest to a truly dark shroud, as it was meant to be. Finn firmly stood up, taking a minute to crush the ashes with his foot to be sure that the heat would not cause a terrifying blaze.

Once the spot was spread out and utterly cold, the human walked over to one of the trees and tore off a piece, popping it into his mouth. The sweet concoction was the only food Finn had eaten all day, a hard day of work and training; nothing else. After finishing his rather insufficient amount of eats, he turned to face the Candy Kingdom.

Although work was not complete, the human had managed to exceed PB's expectations. The colorful collection of structures stood as tall as ever, beaming the pride of its inhabitants. The castle itself was the only building still under reconstruction, having a massive sheet of canvas covering its eastern side.

In the time between hammering, laying down, and bonding pieces together, Finn spent the time here, in the cotton candy forest, practicing with his grass sword. No adventuring, dungeon crawls, or video games. He earned more than his long-awaited maturity. He gained discipline, dedication, and naturally, acceptable swordsmanship.

Finn proceeded back towards the kingdom, eager to finish the repairs on the top floor, as working his way down was more efficient. Emerging from the forest, he was instantly greeted by a pair of banana guards holding the gate. The human waved, gave a small smile, and a short greeting of his own. Then, he entered the city.

Everyone had moved back in several months earlier, as PB deemed the area structurally integrable for habitation. While walking through the streets, he was cheered on by literally every single candy person who happened to be near his path to the castle. True, there were few at this time of night, but the company was present nonetheless.

As Finn finally made it to the hidden face of the palace, he slowly leaned under the canvas and ducked inside. It was here that a construction elevator existed, of which the hero had installed himself. Cranking the lever inside, Finn rose progressively to the top of the building in total silence, still hearing crackling fire in his ears.

Once the lift stopped at his destination, he immediately stepped off and looked around for the right materials to finish the nearby balcony. However, he was stopped after noticing that someone was with him, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. It was Princess Bubblegum.

"Princess, why are you still up?" Finn asked with confusion.

The pink lady sighed, then stood straight to walk over to him.

"Finn, there's something I wish I'd said about two years ago."

She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. He was around her height by now, which made it easier to converse.

"You've done enough."

Finn was shocked, but not shaken.

"You can't be serious. I'm not even done yet."

PB looked at the hero with concerned eyes.

"Finn, you rebuilt an entire kingdom by your own two hands. My people and I can never thank you fully. You've more than redeemed your immature actions all that time ago. Please, go, you've given us enough of your life."

The human stood there, stunned by the woman's words. After a minute or so of mental pondering, he finally hung his head.

"I understand. I'll stop."

Peebles came forward and hugged the young man, who returned the embrace. One the two separated, PB gently smiled.

"Thank you, Finn. You have no idea how hard it was for not just us, but all of Ooo, to watch you toil away at the reconstruction. We're all worried about you."

The human formed a serious expression.

"It's for the kingdom."

PB lost a bit of her smile.

"I know. You say that all the time."

The hero nodded.

"As I should. Nothing is more important."

Finn turned to walk off. He was planning to visit the treehouse, which he hadn't seen in months. Jake's smiling face would be a nice sight. However, before he got too far, Bubblegum put into motion her main reason for meeting the young man up in the tower.

"There's an issue; in the Fire Kingdom."

The human froze in his tracks, but didn't turn around.

"Rumors of yet another takeover are spreading. I think Flame King and Don John have some assets on the outside."

Still, Finn held his back to her.

"I was thinking, if you wanted to help their kingdom, I could give you some information and you might want to assist."

Silence followed for a minute, but eventually, the hero spoke.

"Of course I will. No matter what kingdom, I'll be there to give my blood, sweat, and tears to protect it."

PB was secretly overjoyed.

"Excellent. How about you swing by in the morning to talk?"

Finn nodded, then resumed his stroll back to the elevator, leaving without another word. Bubblegum gazed sorrowly after him.

"Oh, Finn," she said sadly to herself.

_You were too harsh on yourself. Even if my ethics go against it, maybe, just maybe, you might get back some of your happiness, if **she** is nearby..._

* * *

**_Ya'll thought I was dead? Just kidding. Been really busy this week. 'The Red Throne' may have been a shot in the gut, but here's my response, a nice laugh in its face. _**

**_Welcome to the first stage of Counterbalance. _**


	2. Truth and Lies

Truth and Lies

Finn had the house all to himself that night, as Jake was apparently out on a date with Lady Rainicorn, followed by staying over at her place. This gave the human time to enjoy the silent splendor that his humble tree had provided for so many years. However, it did not turn out as wonderful as he'd hoped.

After such a great length of time, Finn's pelt-stacked bed felt awkward and fluffy, since he was used to sleeping on the hard forest ground. Instead, he simply sprawled himself out on the floor in his room, thinking it would offer a more comfortable surface on which to rest up.

Fortunately, when he awoke the next morning, his body felt recharged and ready for another task, which today, instead of picking up a hammer and nails, was to return to PB and find out what was wrong with the thought-to-be-prosperous Fire Kingdom. While getting up and climbing down the ladder to the front door, brief flashes of memory hit Finn on all sides.

_An angered fire elemental about to burn the house to the ground._

_Playing a card game with that same person._

_A giant fire wolf breaking in through the wall._

Finn shook his head, not wishing to replay such thoughts. He reached the ground floor, walking past the mountains of gold and treasure that he and Jake had collected on their adventures. Before opening the door to leave, a glimmer caught his eye. Looking over to the nearest pile of golden coins, the hero noticed a silver shine among them, caused by reflecting sunlight.

Curious, he went over and kneeled down, reaching out a hand to grab the item. Once he had brought it to his face and opened his fingers, the young man found himself struck with overwhelming grief.

It was a small locket, shaped like a heart. He knew exactly what was inside, but refused to look. Standing back up, Finn prepared to fling the object into the chaotic wash of treasures. However, something was stopping him. His hand trembled, his eyes stared straight ahead, and there was an ever so small ache in his chest.

After letting out a frustrated growl, he lowered his throw, hanging his head and sighing. Taking another look at the locket, he grew a solemn expression and closed his eyes, squeezing just tight enough to let out the single salty drop that had been forming there. It landed on the silver item with a quiet ping, running down its curved face and leaving a faint trail of water.

Finn raised the object and placed its chain around his neck, allowing it to set on his chest. After giving it one last feel, he tucked the mnemonic item under his shirt, then proceeded to exit the premise.

* * *

Just like the previous day, Finn was welcomed into the Candy Kingdom by a great many greetings and joyful citizens. Since it was morning, the number of candy people was greatly increased, making it quite difficult for the hero to navigate the streets and reach the castle. Eventually, he managed to escape into an alley, where he climbed up to the nearest roof and house-hopped all the way to Bubblegum's home.

Coming in through one of the upper floor's windows, Finn took a moment to orient himself to which part of the castle he was in. Fortunately, that wasn't necessary, as Peppermint Butler came around the corner a moment later.

"Ah, master Finn, I had a feeling you'd give an interesting entrance."

The candy servant gestured down the hall.

"Please, if you would follow me to the princess."

The two walked in total silence towards PB's lab, where she was likely performing another strange and possibly dangerous experiment. Pep But at last brought them upon the correct room, opening the door and motioning for the human to walk in. The striped man apparently had other matters to attend to, as he gently closed the door behind him.

Finn briefly glanced at the various items the princess had lying around, most of which was unidentifiable science junk that he had no interest in. When he made it to the back of the room, he saw Peebles frantically typing at a computer, looking exhausted.

"Um...Peebles?"

The candy monarch nearly jumped out of her chair, but let out a breath and swiveled around to face the human.

"Gob, don't scare me like that, Finn."

The hero shrugged.

"Had to get your attention somehow."

PB sighed, realizing that was true. She stood up and readjusted the glasses she was wearing.

"Right. So, would you care to know the full situation in the Fire Kingdom?"

Finn nodded.

"Ok. I'll tell you now, I don't have every detail, just the main point."

The young man raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know about it at all? Have you been spying?"

Peebles scoffed.

"No, of course not, I have better things to do. Besides, I have to admit, Flame Princess has done an admirable job running the land better than her father."

She noticed the slight change in Finn's eyes at the mention of her name. For now, she ignored it.

"Anyway, the reason I, and everyone else who listens for the news, knows, is because the Fire Kingdom is _advertising _it."

Finn was stunned.

"What! What is this event?"

PB folded her arms and gazed at the floor momentarily, then back up to the human.

"Word has spread of an assassin present somewhere among the citizens, and Flame Princess is convinced that she needs some additional protection. Of the personal kind, that is."

Finn casually looked around the room.

"Cinnamon Bun not good enough?"

Bubblegum sighed.

"Finn."

The hero looked back at her, waiting for the continuation. She frowned, but resumed.

"She's giving a speech today about the specifics of the job. If you still want to help, you'll go there and find out what is going on."

Finn had a somewhat suspicious look.

"I thought you said this was for the kingdom."

PB place a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Finn, a ruler _is _the kingdom, as arrogant as it sounds, it's the truth. If a monarch falls, chaos, destruction, and pain will quickly follow, especially if the leader was well liked by her people."

She stared straight into Finn's eyes.

"Will you accept the task?"

He contemplate for a moment, thinking of the consequences to himself and others. Naturally, those to himself were meaningless to someone like him, as he could care less of the damage to his own being. The people took priority. Eventually, he looked back into PB's eyes with his, which she saw were filled with renewed determination.

"I will."

Peebles could've cheered, but chose to do so on the inside. She broke off the conversation, heading over to one of the tables and digging through the stacks of scientific materials until she let out a satisfied sound and held up the object she was looking for. Walking back over, she presented it to her hero.

It didn't look like anything special, just a hexagonal amulet with a red gem in the center. There were however, strange symbols carved into the edges, which Finn swore he recognized from somewhere. Regardless, he bowed his head, allowing the princess to place it over his neck and hang down on his torso.

"This amulet is infused with the flame shield spell. A little something I was able to put together. Now you won't have to search out Flambo to get into the Fire Kingdom."

Finn nodded, appreciating the convenience.

"Thank you. I should get going."

He turned to leave. Before walking out the door however, Bubblegum called back to him.

"Send a greeting to Flame Princess for me, ok?"

Finn remained unmoving by the door for a moment, making the pink lady wonder if he'd heard.

"Of course," he finally responded.

Peebles smiled and turned to return to her work, while Finn closed the door behind him. As he strolled down and out of the castle, the human thought of the lie he'd just used. It was true that he didn't want to disappoint the candy monarch, but he also didn't inform her of how he was planning to handle this assignment.

FP would never know he was there. He would remain anonymous.

* * *

Walking through the Fire Kingdom, Finn was surprised by the sheer amount of people gathering for their highness's announcement. As he allowed himself to flow with the crowd, the fire palace came into view, glorious as ever. The human gazed at it for only a moment before returning to the ground level, attempting to make his way forward.

It took a significant amount of time, but the hero was at last able to find a stable spot in which to stand, as the horde of fire elementals surrounded him. Looking closer however, Finn noticed that there were several non elementals as well. Curious, he passed the time by counting and identifying their species and possible occupation.

He himself was still wearing his cloak, with its hood brought up over his head, both to hide his face and his bear hat, which were dead giveaways. The nearby fire citizens paid no mind to the outsiders, meaning this was likely an event welcome to all. Finn was utterly confused, but also becoming intrigued. Before further thought could be given, a flurry of horns attracted the crowd's attention and quieted them all down.

Finn watched carefully as a figure walked up to the edge of the palace's balcony. The fiery announcer cleared his throat.

"Presenting, our fair and beloved ruler!"

Cheers rang out from all over, as the fellow stepped aside, allowing for the entrance of the kingdom's most important individual. Finn briefly thought of looking away, but knew it was important to listen. Taking a calming breath, he looked back up and laid his eyes upon Flame Princess for the first time in three years.

Even one with as much willpower and discipline as Finn couldn't hold back the extra heartbeats experienced when he witnessed the beautiful fire elemental walk up to the balcony. Her appearance so nearly captured the hero's full attention, that he just barely noticed the blue tinted Cinnamon Bun beside her.

For the most part, nothing about her had changed, to a commoner at least, but to Finn, she just kept growing more striking every time he saw her. The flaming girl smiled and waved, setting off another wave of cheering from the joyful elementals below. Once the crowd had calmed, Flame Princess cleared her throat.

"Citizens of this great land and our esteemed visitors, I come before you bearing heavy news."

There were nervous murmurs in the crowd. FP continued.

"There has been word that an assassin walks among us on these volcanic lands, a statement that greatly increases the need for additional protection to my person."

She gestured to CB.

"This course of action was suggested upon by my loyal and strong knight, Cinnamon Bun."

As another round of whoops were given for the candy person, Finn frowned.

_So, it was __**his**__ idea._

Once silence took hold again, the princess continued.

"We shall be holding a tournament in one week's time. Within this event, it will be decided who is strong and worthy enough to stand by my side."

She motioned to the empty space at her left. More talk erupted from the crowd, this time full of excitement and discussion. Finn kept looking up at the balcony, where FP was having a talk with Cinnamon Bun. The two exchanged a few opinions or such then turned back to the audience. She held up a pair of fingers.

"There are but two requirements for entry."

Finn focused, knowing this was the most important part.

"You must be truthful. The victor must be someone I can trust, meaning any and all secrets are disallowed. This is for those of you from outside the kingdom, who may not know our rules."

The concealed human down below frowned, wondering if he could even pull off such a thing while remaining hidden. In the meantime, Flame Princess went on.

"Secondly, you must be able to withstand the temperatures of the kingdom for excessive lengths of time. A flame shield is acceptable, so long as you have one that can last indefinitely."

The second was a no brainer. Finn was currently _wearing_ a permanent flame shield. However, there was still the issue with his identity. He pondered the problem for a minute, before deciding he had heard what he needed to and turned to leave. As he exited the massive crowd, some internal struggle forced him to take one last look at the ruler of the Fire Kingdom. Unfortunately for him, she was looking directly at him.

Moments earlier, FP noticed a single cloaked being beginning to leave the area. She was confused. Her speech wasn't over, anyone could have guessed that. However, curiosity took over, still present somewhere in her mind. She squinted, trying to make out who the person was underneath their cover. She didn't particularly like people hiding behind shrouds anyway.

As the being escaped from the crowd, he swung around, as if to take a final look at her. He seemed momentarily stunned that she was looking back. Flame Princess gasped lightly. The person then quickly took off, out of sight within seconds. Cinnamon Bun noticed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

FP stared at the empty space for a moment then nodded briskly and backed up.

"I'm fine. I just thought I saw...someone."

* * *

Finn quickly made his way back towards the Candy Kingdom. It was near sunset by now, casting a gorgeous array of oranges, purples, and reds across the evening sky. The human found himself caught in the sight, partially mesmerized by the vision. The reason being that he now had a freshly burned image of a certain young woman in his mind, which reflected easily into the colorful heavens.

The hero grinded his teeth, becoming frustrated by his lack of control.

"Darn it, Finn. Get a grip!"

He had made it past the grasslands, now charging through the cotton candy forest that had become his home. However, he wasn't in a homely mood. After forming his grass sword, Finn proceeded to slice any plant that was in his path. The action helped to relieve his internally twisted emotions, replacing them with the rush of slashing countless trunks to pieces with his powerful cursed weapon.

Eventually, he broke through the forest, running towards the front gate of the kingdom. The twin guards, ever vigilant, barely had a chance to say hello as the hero rushed past them with enough speed to kick up a light breeze. This was the same while in the streets. Those citizens who were still awake and strolling the nighttime city were concerned as they watched the unusual behavior of their champion protector.

Just as Finn was about to meet the clearing for the castle, he tripped, sailing several feet in the air before painfully grinding his face into the candy ground. The sugar dug into his scrape, allowing for a painful burning sensation. Groaning, he got to his feet and attempted to keep moving towards his destination. He was stopped, by a rapier being pointed directly at his throat.

"Something is very wrong here, Finn."

The human was shocked.

"Rattleballs? Wh-what do you want?"

The robot lowered his sword and studied the young man.

"You run like a man in fright. What could scare you to such lengths?"

Finn narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not scared," he replied flatly.

Rattleballs slowly shook his head.

"if you are to be honorable, that includes honesty."

The human wouldn't budge.

"I'm not scared."

The gumball robot raised his sword again, swiping it towards Finn, who barely had time to jump back and avoid it.

"What's your problem?" he angrily shouted.

The elusive robot pointed his weapon at the hero.

"If you wish to get to the castle, then spar with me. Only then will I allow you to pass."

Finn growled, then extended his grass sword.

"Fine, just make it quick."

He charged, sending a swipe at Ree-B-Z, who effortlessly sidestepped and swung his own blade. Finn managed to block and shoved the bot back. He took another swing, parrying the one his opponent just initiated. Using the momentary time, the human sweep kicked Rattleballs, attempting to bring him to the ground.

Unfortunately, the mechanical being was two steps ahead of him, jumping and flipping over the hero and landing a good ten feet away behind him. When Finn faced the knighted automaton, the distance gave him an idea. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the patiently waiting Rattleballs, who stood in a defensive stance, awaiting the human's next attack. Finn took several deep breaths, then swiftly dashed at the robot, raising his sword to unleash the ultimate technique.

Gaining speed, the human tensed up, preparing the strike that was sure to remove his opposition. Then, at the last moment, his form went off, causing him to trip again and dig his back into the ground. He groaned, both out of frustration and out of pain. Soon however, he was offered a mechanical hand.

Accepting the lift, Finn got to his feet and brushed off his pants, retracting his sword back onto his wrist. Rattleballs sheathed his weapon as well.

"I'm afraid that no matter how hard you try, Finn, your human body is incapable of attaining the speed necessary to perform the shadowless thrust."

The hero scowled at the ground.

"That won't stop me from trying."

The young man's mentor placed a metal hand on his shoulder.

"You have proven a great swordsman, more than ready enough to protect a princess."

Finn's eyes widened as he stared at the robot.

"How did you know about that?"

Rattleballs grinned.

"The shadows are the best places to hear whispers."

He then frowned.

"It's her isn't it, the same girl who once had your heart."

Finn turned around.

"Yeah."

"And that's what you're afraid of; facing her after so much time."

"Yeah."

Rattleballs tilted his head.

"But there is something else, isn't there?"

Finn turned back and sighed.

"I...I don't know how I'll react. This could be a huge mistake."

Ree-B-Z smiled again.

"I may not have one like yours, but the heart is strong no matter the body. You must follow it, Finn."

The human scoffed.

"Last time I did that I let the kingdom burn to the ground."

The robot swordsman shook his head.

"No. Back then, you were using your head, which was, of course, dumb at the time."

Finn looked carefully at his teacher, who brought up his hand again and placed it on the hero's chest.

"Follow this, Finn. It is your greatest power."

With that, he was gone, sprinting into the air and onto a rooftop, leaving a solemn Finn behind. Eventually, the young man resumed his walk to the castle, making his way through the doors, down the halls, and up to PB's lab. She was still there, no surprise, working on some other nutty project. She noticed the door shut and smiled at the returning hero.

"Finn, you're back! What did you find out?"

He sat down, giving her the whole story. She nodded occasionally, rubbing her chin and furrowing her brow in thought. Once Finn finished his report, PB actually smirked.

"She's grown very intelligent."

Finn furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?"

Peebles crossed her arms.

"Not only is this tournament a good way to find a qualified bodyguard, but the publicity will further increase the respectable image of the Fire Kingdom. Two birds with one stone."

Finn nodded, now understanding. The princess rubbed her palms together.

"So, you going to start training or what?"

The hero nodded determinedly. The candy monarch smiled.

"Excellent. You'd better practice your speech too. Flame Princess will want to be impressed by how much you've grown-"

Finn quickly took hold of the lady's shoulder, giving her a grave look.

"PB...I don't want her to know it's me."

The princess was speechless.

"Wh-what!? What are you talking about? Why not?"

She darted her eyes all over, trying to think of what to say.

"Don't...don't you still have feelings for her? Don't you want another chance to prove yourself, show the girl you care for that you've matured and learned control and discipline?"

Finn held her gaze with his own serious one.

"I can't. My duty is to the kingdom, not to relationships."

He hung his head.

"It'll only be disaster if I try going in as me. FP may even cast me out, thinking this is just another attempt to win her back."

The hero looked back at his royal friend.

"Please, PB, I don't want to reopen old wounds."

The gummy woman stood there, just staring at her dear hero, wondering how in Ooo he could have cast aside something that was so precious to him a mere few years ago.

_Finn, what did you do to yourself?_

He wouldn't budge to Bubblegum's sorrowful face, retaining a similar expression of his own. Realizing it was pointless, considering the human's extensive stubbornness, she hung her head and sighed.

"Fine. I'll help."

Finn stepped forward, giving the near tearful monarch a comforting hug. She returned it, but didn't feel much better. Once the two finished, she looked back at the young man.

"It will be difficult. I could easily reconstruct your facial features, but, you _are _the only human known. It would be too easy to recognize you."

The two of them leaned against the nearby counters, wondering how to solve the dilemma. After a moment of contemplation, Finn's eyes widened. He cautiously turned to look at Peebles.

"What about changing species?"

Bubblegum's own eyes nearly popped out. She swung her face to gaze in shock at the hero.

"What did you just say?"

Finn stepped forward, still wearing his dead serious expression.

"PB, can you...turn me into a fire elemental?"

* * *

_**Oh boy, that's a lot of review responses. Well, here goes. (cracks neck, knuckles, and dusts off keyboard)**_

**Hooray: Thanks!**

**Kaiser Luigi: Glad to hear it.**

**nrbuer: It will never die as long as we have something to say about it.**

**Guest: Ok. Here you go.**

**Awolfx9: I will totally add more.**

**TheMentalAdventurer: Of course, I'd never leave you guys hanging.**

**valdezn: Aw that means so much, I could tear up. Thank you.**

**Guest: Don't worry, I'll keep 'em coming.**

**Guest: A little harsh, but ok.**

**Mysterious Ninja: Thanks so much. Support is like firewood to me.**

**Mayojar77: I hope so.**

**Guest: Ouch, I hope I can update soon enough to ease that.**

**I am The7: I'll do my best, but it's hard not to juggle so much. That makes it fun.**

**srghostarc11: To be honest, it's very difficult, especially when deciding which to update first.**

**unknown: Not sure yet. Thanks.**

**Guest: Yes, I agree fully on the creepy.**

**Guest: True, but I know we were all upset at the episode so I can't judge.**

**Guest: Good to hear.**

**Gold Testament: I know, it was basically messing up every little detail that was good.**

**Guest: Yikes. I better keep up with the updates.**

_**Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!**_


	3. A Human Doused, A Flame Ignited

A Human Doused, A Flame Ignited

Princess Bubblegum tirelessly clicked through dozens of keys on her laptop, running down countless sheets of statistics, algorithms, and technical notes. The room was dark except for the light from her screen, she having never bothered to turn it on. In fact, she'd forgotten to do so for the last five days.

As she typed in another spreadsheet of data, she cringed and pulled back her hand, holding it delicately in the other. A layer of bandaging was covering everything but her fingers; the wrist and palm were under delicate wraps. PB felt a tear drop down into her lap as she rubbed her injured appendage.

_That idiot…_

…

(Six days earlier)

Finn nearly fell over backwards as a searing pain was shot into his face. He felt a fair amount of blood leak out of his nostrils, dripping to the candy floor. Recovering from the initial shock, the human looked back at the pink monarch with astonishment. PB had a pained and outraged expression on her face, along with watery eyes.

"Are you out of your mind!?"

She stepped forward and grabbed the hero's collar.

"How…how dare you!"

Shoving the young man back, the princess walked over to her work table and hung her head while slamming her hands down on the surface. Cautious, but concerned, Finn slowly made his way over to the upset ruler and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"PB, I…"

He couldn't think of what to say. Fortunately, PB continued the conversation herself.

"How could you? How could you think of casting aside your humanity?"

She turned to look at the hero, now with fresh tear trails running down her pale cheeks.

"You're the only known human. Don't you have any pride in who you are?"

Finn closed his eyes.

"Pride is not the trait of a hero."

He gazed back at the princess.

"I serve as a hero, not as a symbol. It doesn't matter what we are; human, candy person, fire elemental. We all have hearts that can choose to protect and give compassion to those around us."

The young man softened his features.

"You said you'd help me, Peebles. Has that changed?"

The princess stood there, overcome by grief and still processing the hero's words. He went on, trying everything in his mind to convince the woman.

"You've studied all you could from me, gathered every scrap of anatomy and chemistry, and being the only human, my species can't go on. There is nothing left of humanity, nothing except making myself a target."

Bubblegum's mouth was hanging open slightly, as if she were trying to think of an argument against him. But he was too quick, too determined, and too logical.

"I…"

Finn reached over and brushed away a new line of tears from the monarch's face.

"Protecting others is my responsibility. And responsibility…demands-"

"Sacrifice," the princess finished, hanging her head.

The two stood there for at least a full minute, allowing the haze of emotion and woe to pass over like a bad storm. Eventually, PB brushed off the dripping from her nose and looked up to the human.

"At the least…let me try to see if it's reversible."

Finn stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

"Thank you, Finn."

She turned away from him.

"I'll start the preparations. Make sure you'll be ready and I'll make sure I am."

The hero nodded in response and turned to leave. As PB heard the door shut behind her, she examined the hand she'd used to slug Finn in the nose. It appeared to have a minor sprain. Cursing under her breath, the monarch went over to grab a roll of bandaging to deal with the aching appendage.

…

A lighter feeling entered Peebles' heart as a new window of information appeared on her monitor. Scanning the readings gave her a shimmer of hope. She found herself letting out a small smile. Downloading the info to a separate file, she copied it multiple times and sent it to various networks and a few flash drives, making quadruple sure she wouldn't lose it. As the computer indicated all had been saved and archived, the princess sat back in her chair, letting out an exhausted breath.

She had a lead. Nothing definite, but a possibility. Still, was that enough to go on?

Finn wouldn't care. He never would. His mind was made up, and regrettably, she had to agree with his reasoning. Not only that, but he was not hers to command. If he wished to alter his life drastically, she had no right to deny it. Still, he was her friend, and that was enough to drive her to find a way to get back the human she cared so dearly for.

She stared at a vial nearby, enclosed in an explosive resistant case to give it the highest protection. Within the glass tube was a sample of Finn's blood, drawn to research and obtain a sequence to restore his humanity once his task had been accomplished.

A moment later, there was a knock on the laboratory door. PB asked them to enter and the wooden entrance creaked open. There stood Finn, lacking his bear hat and face covered in bruises and a large but shallow cut. She thought nothing of it. He'd been performing rigorous training with Rattleballs in the junkyard, making sure that the hero was ready to face whatever opponent he'd meet in the Fire Kingdom's tournament.

"Is everything ready?" the young man asked.

The candy monarch nodded.

"Yes. Also…I found a possible way of turning you back after this is all over."

Finn just nodded halfheartedly and waited for the next step. Bubblegum frowned at him, but saw that the expression had no effect.

"Alright, follow me."

She walked past the human, who tailed along, and exited the lab. The pair proceeded down the halls, which were empty and dark, seeing as it was very early in the morning. PB lead them to the entrance of the underground portion of the castle, where her more volatile and dangerous experiments were performed. Also, all her top-secret ones.

The winding stone staircase down echoed each footstep, filling the void air with sufficient noise to drown out the eeriness of it all. They went further than Finn had ever been before, sprouting a hint of curiosity in his mind. The candy walls seemed to darken, then grow rotten, then smooth and seamless. Confused as to the sudden change in quality, the hero reached out and slid his fingers over the material.

It wasn't candy.

Such a substance was apparently too weak to deal with whatever went on in these mysterious settings, testing Finn's bravery as Bubblegum kept on walking. At long last, they reached the absolute bottom of the spiraling descent, revealing a massive metal door that PB stepped up to. She placed her hand on a scanner beside it, where the device checked if it was in fact the candy ruler herself.

A retinal scanner and voice recognition program followed afterward. The last part was a password, which took the monarch literally two minutes to input. As she punched in the 'enter' key, the internal locks holding the door released their pressure, then allowed a handle to pop out of the metallic surface.

PB took hold and pulled, slowly but surely swinging the entrance open. As it did, Finn was stunned to see that the barrier between the outside and this lab was nearly a full foot thick. Once the path ahead was clear, Peebles motioned for the human to follow her into the depths of the room. The place had its own corridor, which the princess explained was for decontamination purposes.

As they walked, a scanning laser passed over them, followed by jets of bacteria killing gas that was pumped into the chamber-like walkway. Once the journey was finished, the two stood at yet another door. This one however, opened only when decontamination was complete, which was signaled by a green light and a 'ding' noise. The door slid into the ceiling, finally revealing the actual lab.

Its appearance was magnificent to say the least. All manner of technology and science was present inside, contained within towered processors and computers the size of cars. In the center of the room was a table, directly below the area's most significant device; a titanic laser hanging from the ceiling.

While Finn gazed in awe at the object, PB went over and inserted an electronic keycard into the main hub, bringing the room and all of its technological marvels to life. Humming machines flashed different colored lights, including the laser. After a few minutes of putting in data and processing codes, Bubblegum let out a breath to relax herself and turned to her friend.

"Are you ready, Finn?"

The human nodded, taking off his cloak and laying it on a shelf that stood against the back wall of the lab. He then carefully approached the table and gazed back at the princess. She looked too, with a solemn expression, as if she really didn't want to do this. She didn't, of course, but it was too late to change Finn's mind.

The young man climbed onto the platform and lay down flat on its surface, finding a comfortable position. Before beginning, Peebles went over and took one last check on the hero.

"You're sure about this?"

He nodded.

"Absolutely."

Finn suddenly recalled something and reached in under his shirt. He pulled out the sliver locket and took the chain off his neck, holding out the item to Bubblegum.

"Can you hold on to this for now?"

PB gazed in wonder at the heart-shaped object, then nodded without saying a word. Accepting the locket and placing it in her lab coat, the gummy lady walked back over to her station and flipped several switches, powering up the laser over Finn's chest. She also pressed a button to her left, activating the recording equipment.

As a light began to generate from the tip of the colossal device above him, Finn felt his body tense up, as if afraid of what was going to happen. However, his mind was not so easily swayed. The hero had faith and trust in the princess, finding no reason to leak fear into his thoughts. The laser moved down, lowering its point closer to his body.

Peebles placed her protective goggles over her eyes, carefully monitoring the process as it went. She'd placed almost a week's worth of time in calibrating the correct molecular sequencing to recombine Finn's DNA. There was no room for error or rushing. As the humming became more high-pitched, the scientist held her breath and placed her hand on a large lever beside her.

_Here we go._

The second she threw down the switch, the humming was warped into a strange rattling, which in turn made the lights on the laser blink in a synchronized pattern. The light on its end grew brighter, causing Finn to turn his face away from it. As the energy continued to build up, numerous thoughts sprang through his mind.

Jake, his beloved brother, giving a jolly laugh.

BMO, doing one of its funny little dances.

Marceline, playing savory licks on her ax bass.

Ice King and Gunter, the hysterical duo, locked in some princess discussion or other.

Several more ran rampant inside his skull, waiting for the moment when the laser would begin its purpose and further his own. As the humming all but vanished, one last string of memory slid past his subconscious. A giggle. A female's giggle.

The device fired, striking the human dead center of his chest.

PB's face scrunched up as the sound of her friend's scream rang off the walls, continuing on as a crimson beam dug into his body. Finn's fingers tried their best to dig into the table, scraping off the dust and such that had gathered upon it over time. His legs twitched, fighting between the urge to roll the hero away from the beam and stay beneath it.

Bubblegum closed her eyes, not wanting to witness the pain he was experiencing any fruther. The effect lasted a while, until the device began doing its job and rewriting Finn's genetic code. His screams stopped, as his vocal cords were temporarily incapable of vibrating. He had the sense of drowning in lava, feeling an incredible heat wash over his form as if melting. The pain was still there, but seemed to be sedative rather than torturous.

Eventually, Finn's nerves went blank entirely, leaving him feeling disembodied and practically comatose. His vision blurred, his heart rate decelerated, and his breathing fell rapidly. Regardless of the exhilarating phenomenon, he remained conscious, determined to prove he could outlast any challenge. The struggle went on for what seemed like hours to him, with alternating sensations of hot and cool resonating from his chest. For the most part though, he was a vegetable, staring at the ceiling.

After pulling through the devastating wait, Princess Bubblegum threw the switch to its upward position, shutting off the laser. As the beam disengaged, and the gigantic machine began its cooling process, PB threw off her goggle and ran over to the table, hoping for the best.

Setting eyes upon Finn's form, she had to cover her mouth, disbelieving even her own actions. The young man let off a dim glow, radiating a significant amount of heat that nearly made the princess sweat. Her wide eyes drifted to the hero's face, where his now amber eyes were still locked onto the ceiling above.

She pulled out a mitt and slid it on, giving him a tentative shake.

"Finn?"

All at once, he took in a massive breath, instantly causing his skin to glow bright enough for Peebles to shield her eyes. Once the illumination had subsided, she looked back to determine the young man's condition. He had begun reacting to the surroundings, getting up on his elbows while shaking his likely aching head. PB carefully helped him get his feet over to the floor, allowing him to sit up.

As he held a hand to his temple, groaning, the candy monarch gave him a full examination, scanning every aspect with a small scanning tool from her pocket. However, both of them were distracted by a sudden burning sound. Finn and PB see their sights on the hero's right arm, shocked to see his grass sword on fire.

After a few seconds, the young man frowned, saddened that he'd lose his reliable weapon. However, something changed. The sword emitted a brief green glow, then seemed to tighten itself around Finn's arm, causing momentary discomfort. It was completely ablaze now, with no sign of surviving the combustion. Instead of being reduced to ash though, it actually extended itself, creeping up the young man's arm further until disappearing under his sleeve.

Once the flames dissipated, they revealed something that stunned the two staring at it. The verdant band covering Finn's wrist was gone, now replaced with a similar but stretched out object that was crimson in color and had razor-like spines along its edges. For the most part, its features reminded one of a rose stem.

Experimentally, Finn held up his hand, then used the same mental command he used for his sword to try to get a reaction out of the ominous plant constricting his arm and wrist. Amazingly enough, the vine spiraled down from its positioning, quickly forming an elegant katana, decorated with vibrant fire insriptions all along its blade. PB backed off as the hero practiced a few swings with the weapon, discovering it had the same extreme precision as its previous incarnation.

Bubblegum gazed with somewhat concern as Finn retracted the sword, allowing the vegetation to rewrap itself up his limb.

"Apparently the 'curse' is not so easily broken. It morphed into a lava vine."

The young man nodded.

"Yeah."

He encountered a little trouble standing up, wobbling for a moment as PB helped him gain balance. Once he stood straight and reacquired control over his tendons and muscles, he held up his hand and gazed at it in wonder. His skin was a golden yellow, shimmering as if he were a humanoid lantern.

"It worked."

Peebles backed away, letting him have some space to move around.

"Seems so."

Finn tried various movements with his new body, seeing if his agility and speed had remained the same. On the contrary, they had increased. The new form felt lighter, as if he could jump twenty feet in the air and dash at well over the limit of human beings. After the hero finished, PB walked over and pulled out his locket. Finn bowed, allowing her to place it over his neck.

He then tucked it under his now fiery shirt, which had been previously infused with bioorganic fibers that took on the neurological traits of its wearer. It had taken Bubblegum four days to figure out the technology for that, making him quite appreciative of her work. The candy monarch went over and picked up the young man's cloak, feeling its texture.

"I should probably do the same for this as I did for your clothes."

Finn nodded. The two then made their way for the exit, shutting off all the machinery as they went. Now, there was just one last thing to take care of.

* * *

The new flame being stood before his tree house, his now fireproof cloak flapping in the morning breeze. Upon first glance, it was in fact the willow that he and Jake had lived in for as long as they could remember. However, that was only a testament to how precise PB had been with the design. What stood in front of them was a replica, planted there by the gumball guardians after they'd ripped the real tree out of the ground and hid it in the mountain ranges behind the Candy Kingdom. All of this had been done under close discretion, in the middle of the night.

Princess Bubblegum walked up to Finn and placed a hand on his shoulder, protected from burning by his attire.

"Are you sure about this? Jake will be devastated."

The hero nodded solemnly.

"It'll be too suspicious if I just disappear. My absence will have to be accounted for, and there's no better way of doing that than faking a death."

Seeing there was no swaying him, Peebles sighed and backed away, not wanting to feel the extreme heat of what was about to happen. Her body would surely start melting. Finn held up his hand and aimed it at the base of the tree house. He focused, trying to build up energy in his palm. Pleasantly enough, a jet of flames was suddenly fired out, impacting the trunk of the willow and bathing it with crimson flames within seconds.

Once he was satisfied with the amount of area covered, Finn halted his blast and stared blankly at the house. He and Peebles watched the fires spread, plowing through the windows and licking at the uppermost branches. Eventually, only the darkening silhouette of the false abode was visible, the rest being coated in a raging inferno.

As the tree began to crack and collapse into itself, the two observers of its demise turned to walk away, not wishing to finish the spectacle.

"I saturated that thing with your scent. Jake will definitely think you were inside."

Finn nodded. The princess then thought of another subject.

"By the way, what will you call yourself?"

The flame human kept looking ahead as he answered.

"Fenrir."

PB raised an eyebrow.

"Where did _that_ come from?"

Finn actually smirked.

"I found it in an old human mythology book. It's the name of a giant wolf monster."

The princess chuckled.

"Wow, you sure dug deep."

The hero chuckled back.

"Well, it helps if you have an intimidating name, especially when you're fighting people."

Peebles gazed at the smiling young man, happy to see this expression upon his face. Suddenly though, she gasped, causing Finn to frown.

"What is it?"

The monarch pulled a hand mirror from her pocket and handed it to the hero, who curiously gazed into it. He also gasped.

"What the- my eyes!"

His orbs were ocean blue, just like before his transformation. However, the coloring quickly faded back to amber. PB sighed.

"Looks like the conversion wasn't perfect. It seems that any positive emotion will cause your irises to revert back to their original pigment for a short period."

Finn handed the princess her mirror back and let out a breath.

"One more reason to be careful."

PB agreed. They were now at a crossroads; with the Candy Kingdom in one direction, and the Fire Kingdom in another.

"Well, this is goodbye for now, Finn, er, Fenrir."

The two briefly hugged, so as to not burn the candy ruler.

"Yeah. Good luck, Prubs."

"You too."

With that exchange, the two friends turned away and started walking, journeying down separate paths for what might be an extensive period of time. PB didn't tell him, but she'd glimpsed inside Finn's locket while he was undergoing his change.

What she saw brought a smile to her face, and even greater hope to her heart.

* * *

**_Holy cow! Another like 20 reviews? What am I doing right?_**

**PKMN Trainer Finnpines: I was sure lots of people were. That's why it was fun to write.**

**nrbuer: Yep, that's exactly what I mean.**

**Awolfx9: I was kinda nervous about how I portrayed Finn's development. Glad to hear that it's well received.**

**Buskola: Indeed it has.**

**Mayojar77: I was actually curious if anyone guessed correctly why it has that title, way back in chap 1.**

**Guest: Well said friend.**

**Guest: He most certainly does.**

**Guest: I'll do it as often as I can. People clearly have an interest in it.**

**TheMentalAdventurer: I'll keep that answer sort of ambiguous, just to add suspense.**

**Guest: Hope you like your answer.**

**Riset36: I suppose that's fair criticism, but I'll make it work.**

**Brony25: I'll do my best.**

**Loving the story: While that's true, I'm keeping it mostly in the dark whether it's possible.**

**Roberto: Thanks! I'll certainly try.**

**Guest: Ichigo is a boss.**

**Fiery Crusader: I appreciate all that input, and I agree with you on the last part.**

** Kaiser Luigi: Yep, BIG twist.**

**Guest: He really is.**

**I am The7: He'll learn, hopefully.**

**Guest: That's a good name for him at this point.**

**Vin-the-Mazoku: Glad to hear it.**

_**Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!**_


	4. Tournament of Vulcan, Part I

Tournament of Vulcan, Part I

Finn had never before seen such activity at the entrance to the Fire Kingdom. Various fighters and warriors from across the land of Ooo were gathered at the fiery domain, making their way towards the tallest volcano in the entire area. It was in this environment that the grand event would take place, the arena where the best of the best would shine among the glorious combatants from every corner of the continent.

The cloaked flame human made his way past dozens of excited competitors, bragging about how far they'd make it in the ring. Finn paid them no mind, and they returned the favor. He was only interested in finding the entrance to the coliseum where the tournament would commence. Unfortunately, he bumped past a rather large rock elemental, who noticed and instantly grabbed the young man, smashing him against a nearby wall.

"You've got some nerve, kid. I think I'll pummel you into the ground for practice."

He released Finn, only to back away and raise a massive stone mallet over his head, planning to crush the hero into the volcanic earth. However, the moment his weapon was at its highest, a slash was heard through the air, followed by Finn having his back to the elemental, while his lava vine sword recoiled around his arm.

The smashing part of the rock being's hammer fell, striking him in the head and immediately causing him to fall over, stunned. Those who had been nearby stood shocked, watching the flame human slowly continue on his way.

Finn made it to the stadium, now hearing the cheers of hundreds of civilians, both fiery and outsider, within the walls of the structure. He was about to walk in and sign up, but was halted by a familiar voice.

"I hope you remember my words, Finn."

The hero swung around, only to see a hooded figure leaning against the wall of the stadium, his skinny mechanical arms crossed. The being's metal face was barely visible through his cover.

"Rattleballs? What are you doing here?!"

Finn strolled up to the swordsman, utterly confused. The robot grinned.

"I took special leave to watch your performance."

He placed a hand on the hero's shoulder.

"Do you remember?"

Finn thought back, then looked carefully at the knight.

"Go for the legs?"

Ree-B-Z shook his head, moving his hand to the young man's chest.

"No. Use this."

He prodded the heart beating beneath Finn's fiery skin, nodded to him. The hero looked rather conflicted.

"Right…"

Rattleballs stepped back.

"Please, Finn. Open yourself to the heart you have neglected. You'll be amazed at the power you can wield."

At those words, the robot vanished, dashing away into the volcanic rocks. Finn stared at the now empty space for a moment, then nodded and took a deep breath.

_Ok. I'll try. _

He briefly patted his chest, feeling the heart locket underneath his shirt. Then, the hero entered the building to give his name for the tournament.

* * *

The cheering reached its peak as the last of the competitors entered the arena, lining up in the center of the volcano's peak, which was composed of a metal platform supported by heavy chains, right above the molten pit of lava serving as the mountain's core. Finn stood near the end of the row, gazed casually at the sheer number of people witnessing the event. Many of them were non-fire elementals, strengthening PB's theory at the dual purpose of the battle.

The flame human noticed a prominent flame shielded individual walk up to the front of the king's box, where the ruler herself would watch the combat. It was Cinnamon Bun. The loyal protector waited a moment at the edge of the balcony, then raised his hand to silence the crowd. They gradually calmed, now only sending out excited whispers.

The candy person scanned the stands, until he saw all attention directed to himself. He then spoke in a powerful voice.

"Presenting, her highness, the benevolent ruler of the Fire Kingdom."

The crowd reignited their roars, as CB stepped aside to allow someone to pass in front and address the audience. Finn found himself staring anxiously at the balcony, somehow nervous about setting eyes upon _her _again. Soon enough, the king of the land appeared in the booth, as stunning as ever by Finn's opinion. Flame Princess let loose a brightening smile, along with a wave to the entire crowd, who cheered louder in response.

Finn tried his best to tear his eyes away from her, but knew it was useless. Not only were the fighters expected to face her, but the ache in his chest was returning slowly as he observed her beautiful face and fiery hair. He inconspicuously gripped the skin above his heart, grunting and hoping the sensation would stop. However, he halted the act as FP finished introducing to the crowd and set her rich amber eyes upon the line of combatants below.

She briefly studied each one of them, taking in their size, armament, and overall facial expression. Finn was too slow in realizing the fiery young woman may recognize his cloak from the other day, but reassured himself that that was a long time ago, and only lasted a few seconds anyway. Regardless, the flame human felt on edge as the fire elemental stopped at him. As feared, he noticed something change in her gentle features, as if something unexpected had come up.

Finn did his best to look casual, just like the rest of the fighters. The tension grew as he noticed FP was taking longer to look at him than any of the others in line. Small beads of lava were forming up on his forehead, highlighting his nerves to anyone who could see. Luckily, that was no one. Flame Princess finally let go of the vision she'd placed upon him, but it lingered for a few moments, as if caught by a hook, while she continued down the line.

At long last, she finished the inspection, nodding to Cinnamon Bun. The knightly pastry stepped to his position beside the king's seat, in standby. Meanwhile, FP cleared her throat and gazed upon the crowd and fighters as a whole.

"Citizens, visitors, brave warriors, I welcome you all to the Tournament of Vulcan."

Cheers erupted once again, as Flame Princess patiently waited for the audience's approval to die down. The fighters below also cheered, waving their weapons around in anticipation. Finn was the only one who did not partake in the rush of excitement, which caused FP to pick him out of the line once again. At least this time, the flame human wasn't looking at her. She frowned, puzzled by the strange hooded humanoid among the other warriors.

Shaking off the curiosity, she proceeded with the commencement. FP gestured to a large display board above her balcony, which displayed a brackets listing. From what Finn could see, there were a total of 32 fighters, organized to advance to the next round upon defeating an opponent. He glanced at the others while a team of fiery officials etched every competitor's name into the brackets.

All the potential foes he would face were a fair bit more intimidating than him, especially in the size category. Each also had a clear weapon somewhere on their person, unlike Finn's, which was bound to his right arm. Another characteristic that set them apart was the fact that they all openly exemplified their appearances, as if boasting and trying to impress. Meanwhile Finn just wore his slightly tattered cloak, not drawing much interest at all.

Well, except from FP.

Speaking of which, the fiery ruler began addressing the warriors.

"Here's how it will work. Each of you will be randomly paired with an opponent. The one who is victorious shall advance to the next stage. There are five rounds, and battlefield will change with each new level."

The fighters were intrigued by the idea of a shifting arena, grinning with interest. Finn just frowned as he continued listening, staring at the wall rather than the king.

"You may use only your natural abilities and weapons. No magic. And lastly, each quarrel is isolated, no other contender may witness a battle, lest they gather potentially advantageous info that would assist them later on."

A few of the guys near Finn groaned, telling him that they weren't all exactly honorable. The thought put a sour taste in his mouth, as well as the mentality that they didn't deserve the position Flame Princess was offering. A gong was suddenly rung, signaling the warriors to exit the arena so that the first two combatants may begin. As Finn was about to enter the waiting area, one of the officials stopped him, nodding back towards the arena.

Understanding, the flame human made his way once more to the suspended platform, waiting for his first opponent. A fiery being was approaching him from the opposite side of the field, wielding what appeared to be two swords composed of magma. In addition, he had a pair of backup blades sheathed on his back.

The fire elemental stopped in the center, opposite Finn, and gave the young man an amused grin.

"Looks like I'm making sushi in the next few minutes."

Finn ignored the attempted intimidation as the announcer introduced them.

"So begins the first engagement of round one. On this side…"

He gestured to the swordsman.

"We have the master of burning blades, Edge, the fire elemental!"

Cheers erupted form the audience, as the swordsman raised his hand in appreciation of the attention. Finn just rolled his eyes. The announcer motioned to him next.

"And on this side, an enigmatic and quiet young man, a fire elemental who goes by the name of Fenrir!"

Finn expected no sort of cheering, but was shown up by his own thinking when most of the crowd booed him. Luckily, no one had decided to throw anything at him yet. He and Edge stepped closer, preparing to fight.

Up on the balcony, Flame Princess and CB were anxiously waiting for the start.

"Good name, but I doubt he'll last ten seconds," the candy person stated flatly.

FP didn't respond, caught once again staring at the cloaked humanoid down below. She swore that the attire was the same as the person she'd seen a week earlier, and she was still getting the feeling that that person was someone she knew. However, she had no affiliation with any fire elementals named Fenrir. The king hummed with thought as she watched the two take combat stances.

Edge smirked at his opponent as he readied his twin molten swords.

"At least make it look good, got it, newbie?"

Finn didn't respond verbally, but instead extended his lava vine sword and raised it defensively. Edge chuckled.

"Is that it? That weak little weapon?"

The swordsman charged at the flame human, intending to burn right through the cursed blade and strike his foe. However, he had no idea how much he was underestimating his challenger.

Finn elegantly parried both swipes from the swords, then quickly kicked Edge several feet back, surprising him and knocking the breath out of the fire elemental. He, and the audience, was a bit stunned. Regardless, he shook off the expression and ran at the hero again. Finn retracted his sword and ran as well, carefully eyeing his opponent. At the last moment, he hit the ground, sliding underneath Edge's feet as the elemental sent a double slice his way.

As he got up, the swordsman turned and sent both of his blades joined together down upon Finn. Edge was sure the young man would attempt a dodge, but was shocked by the actual result. Finn caught both magma swords between his palms, causing the crowd to gasp. FP and CB were amazed as well, springing forward from their positions to lean over the balcony. Struggling against the weapons, the flame human watched as Edge ignored the incredibly skillful move and tried to cleave him in half with sheer brute force.

In that moment, Finn extended his lava vine sword, astonishing his foe as the cursed blade pierced right through Edge's two molten armaments. This time, the swordsman didn't recover fast enough, as Finn slammed his elbow down on his sword's flat side, breaking the two it was impaling in half. Edge recoiled as his fiery weaponry fell to the ground and dissolved, ruined of their elemental craftsmanship.

The audience was fully captivated by now, watching as Finn swiped the remaining bits of magma off his lava vine. Amazingly, he then retracted the sword once again, assuming a meditative pose. Edge was first confused, then angry, pulling out his secondary set of weapons.

"Are you mocking me, punk!? You'll die for it!"

Flame Princess was shocked. She had explicitly stated at the announcement a week earlier that it would be a non-lethal tournament. The fiery ruler was about to speak up, but Cinnamon Bun stopped her, holding a hand in front of her. The knight shook his head, urging the young woman to watch the fight. Reluctantly, she complied.

Edge let out a war cry as he aimed to plunge his twin blades into the hero's skull. When the enraged elemental came close, the voice of Finn's mentor drifted through his mind.

_Use your opponent's movements against them…_

With lightning speed, Finn slid his foot forward and ducked, tripping up his foe, who bewilderedly began sailing through the air, unable to stop his momentum. The flame human grabbed his opponent's abdomen, the used his own strength to increase the swordsman's speed, and hurled him right towards the wall of the stadium. Edge smashed into it with a painful groan, dropping his blades and then falling towards the lava below. Luckily, he managed to grab hold of side of the platform, saving himself from the long fall.

FP was about to order that some guards go help him up then escort him away, but stopped when Finn slowly walked over to the edge and knelt down, offering a hand to his defeated foe. Edge was initially stunned by the gesture, looking with confusion into the young man's eyes. He caught a glint of absolution in the flame human's gaze, which finally convinced him to accept the offered help and allow Finn to pull him up.

The swordsman stared at his better for a moment, before a pair of guards arrived to take him out of the arena.

"Th-thanks."

Finn nodded, then watched as Edge was taken away. Suddenly, the crowd cheered, filling the air with roars of praise and congrats. The announcer himself was barely containing his excitement.

"Well! Definitely don't underestimate this stranger. Fenrir is the victor!"

Finn gave a small, humble wave to the audience, then gave the expected bow to Flame Princess. He shot the king a quick glance before turning around, which she mirrored as the young man made his way back to the waiting area. Cinnamon Bun grinned and crossed his arms.

"Not just skill, but respect and consideration."

He looked to FP.

"He has a good heart."

The fiery young woman nodded absentmindedly, still bothered by the perplexing fire elemental. CB noticed and frowned.

"Is, something wrong?"

FP snapped out of her gaze as Finn disappeared into the building.

"I…I'm fine. But, he just seems so…familiar."

The ruler's knight pondered the statement.

"Hm. We'd better watch him then, see what else he can do. Maybe even discover a little more about him."

Flame Princess nodded, as the next two fighters entered the arena.

* * *

Finn walked onto the platform once again, about to begin his round two battle. The platform had indeed been altered as Flame Princes had mentioned. It was now covered by a field of volcanic pillars, a forest of rocky columns which added a new level of maneuverability to the arena. The flame human figured his opponent was waiting atop one of the towering formations, deciding he'd have to climb up to it.

However, it would take too long by hand. The young man pondered the dilemma, scratching his chin. He then noticed his lava vine sword, still tightly bound to his arm. Curious about its apparently extensive length, he ordered it to retract, but this time, he focused on making it stay as a vine. To his delight, the object did as he wanted, forming into a rope of sorts. Focusing harder, he caused the vine to join itself, creating a lasso with its end.

Grinning, Finn stood back and began swinging the lasso over his head, aiming for the top of the nearest pillar. After a good drive, he hurled the loop up, where it strongly caught hold of the column. Finn set his feet on the side of the rock, climbing quickly to the top and hopping onto the small area that the pillar supplied. After retracting the lava vine back onto his arm, he heard clapping coming from the audience, who apparently enjoyed watching the strange weapon's ability.

Finn next turned to face his next opponent, surprised to see someone familiar, but not exactly pleasant.

"Sir Slicer!?" the young man exclaimed.

The heavily armored knight bellowed a laugh as he looked upon the hero with his vicious green eyes.

"I see my reputation precedes me."

Finn glared at the man.

"Last I heard, you couldn't even support yourself in that armor."

Slicer grinned maliciously.

"Let's just say a friend of the Train owed me a favor."

Seeing that Finn was confused, the black knight motioned to his legs, shocking the flame human as he noticed they were bionic.

"Heh, heh, don't you worry, I get plenty of power to hold up this 'click-click' armor."

The arrogant man banged his metal chest a few times, still laughing, which was beginning to get on Finn's nerves. Slicer then focused, eyeing the hero with a vile grin.

"Prepare to be diced, foolish fire being."

The knight pulled out a steel broadsword, then hopped to the next stone pillar, closing in on the young man. Finn quickly produced his lava vine sword and hopped towards his foe as well. The two clashed on adjacent columns, blocking each other's blow and hopping to the next platform. The audience, along with FP and CB, watched with great tension as the two swordsmen collided again and again, constantly putting their footwork to use to jump onto the dozens of stone pillars.

The engagement lasted for several minutes, with neither opponent seeming to tire out. In reality however, Finn was beginning to lose his strength, while his mechanically equipped foe kept at it, not even breaking a sweat. Eventually, the hero made a misstep, tripping and falling on his back onto the next platform. Just as he was about to get up, a heavy metal foot crushed his chest, making him grunt from the pain.

Opening his eyes, he saw Sir Slicer standing above him, cackling victoriously. The knight began using his bionic leg to scrape the hero towards the edge of the pillar, where he would fall to the ground and lose.

Up in the balcony, Flame princess was watching with concern as the event played out, nervously holding a hand to her lips.

Slicer's smirk was really irritating Finn at this point, but he regrettably had no response to the knight's action. His armor was making it so that the lava vine sword had no effect, removing the possibility of damaging the man so he'd get off. Suddenly, the young man remembered an important lesson he'd learned over the years of his self training; a mind that is calmed can grasp the most knowledge.

Finn took a deep breath and closed his eyes, ignoring the pain in his back and chest. More of Rattleball's wisdom floated through his consciousness.

_Your enemy's greatest strength is sometimes their greatest weakness…_

The flame human opened his eyes, gazing at the foe holding him down. Slicer was busy self-gloating, giving him time to evaluate the situation. He spotted the bionic leg that was crushing him, about to send him plunging down to the main platform. He growled, wondering what to do. It was then that he noticed his glowing orange fist. Finn's eyes widened, as he suddenly realized he'd forgotten a valuable ability at his disposal.

The hero acted fast, placing his fiery hand over the mechanical foot keeping Slicer standing and began to focus energy into the appendage, increasing the temperature of the metal. Slowly but surely, the bionic limb was softened enough that the material began fusing to the rock beneath it. Noticing the small amount of rising smoke, Sir Slicer looked down to see what the young man had done.

"Agh! What the heck?"

He panicked, lifting his free leg off of Finn and trying desperately to pull his melted one out of the pillar's surface. While the knight was doing so, his opponent carefully hopped onto the next platform and formed his lava vine sword. This time, he focused once more and set the blade on fire, in addition to extending its length another several feet.

Slicer noticed the hero's activity, now looking quite nervous, and a touch scared. Finn narrowed his eyes at the villainous knight.

"You lose."

With one clean swipe, Finn's blade severed the pillar Slicer was stuck to, immediately destabilizing it and causing the upper half of the column to plummet to the ground, bringing a frightened yelling black knight down with it. A massive crash rang throughout the arena, before the dust settled and revealed a very disoriented Sir Slicer, half buried in rubble.

The crowd exploded into cheers again, clapping vigorously for the mysterious cloaked fire elemental who had prevailed once again. Finn gave a single wave, then the bow to Flame Princess as was customary. The king was gazing in wonder at the young man, as she always had been whenever he was out. It bothered her so immensely about the shrouded elemental's identity, that she barely registered any of the other fights that went on before her.

Cinnamon Bun placed a hand on her shoulder armor.

"Still getting a strange sense?"

FP nodded.

"Yeah. Listen, can you spectate the next few fights? I want to go get some tea to clear my head."

The noble knight bowed and gave a smile.

"Of course."

FP smiled back and turned to leave, as Finn himself turned to enter the waiting barracks once again. The two young people somehow felt an invisible tug, as if there was a rope binding them to one another, momentarily tripping them up. Both shook then their heads, and continued to their destinations.

* * *

**_I really wish there was more I could give than just a thank you for all the support and feedback you guys have given. Well, take the thanks for now, until I figure out how to digitize a cookie or something and send it through the internet. _**

**Mayojar77: Heh, nice idea.**

**nrbuer: Indeed Betty was a much better episode, still sad, but at least heartwarming. **

**Guest: Guess you'll have to wait and see.**

**Guest: Sounds awesome.**

**TheMentalAdventurer: Yeah, some more maturing will definitely be in this.**

**Guest: It absolutely is, 100%.**

**Brony225: Ha, good one.**

**Buskola: Wow, really?**

**Roberto: All answers will come eventually.**

**Fiery Crusader: That question will be answered shortly.**

**I am The7: That would be kinda weird, and awkward.  
**

**Awolfx9: Thanks so much.**

**Guest: Agreed, completely.**

**Guest: Um, I don't believe so.**

**Guest: That's exactly what it was meant to be :)**

**Guest: Hm, that would be cool...**

**CuteFoxSage: Thanks for the extra support. I hope to see more from you too.**

**Holahello: It's so good to know of people who support our couple so strongly. Keep it up!**

**Ventus Uzumaki: Nice to have you on board.**

_**Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!**_


	5. Tournament of Vulcan, Part II

Tournament of Vulcan, Part II

Round three's arena was nothing if not difficult to work with. The circular field was shifted into a funnel, quite steep and with an opening at the bottom that would drop any player unfortunate to enter it into the fiery lava below. Thus, all fighters had to be in constant motion, making it a challenging trial to not only be the victor, but keep one's self from plummeting to the volcano's maw.

Finn was currently doing his best to avoid his enemy's attacks, which consisted of varying degrees of foggy punches and kicks. The foe himself was a being by the name of Smog. Rightly so, as his strange abilities allowed him to dissipate into a cloud of noxious black smoke, progressively making Finn choke and reducing his visibility as he ran around the funnel's steep incline.

In addition, it provided Smog with the advantage of not having to constantly be in motion, since his form could hover about the arena in midair. Much of the audience was booing at the seemingly unfair circumstances, but Cinnamon Bun paid them no mind and allowed the fight to continue. He had his reasons.

Finn ducked from another punch then proceeded to grow out his sword, bending the blade slightly then flicking the edge to cause it to begin spinning like a buzzsaw. However, he also commanded the blade to split in half, creating an effective fan that blew away Smog's gaseous form, frustrating the extremely weightless being.

"Ngh, stop running, you ninny!"

The flame human scowled at the two darker spots in the cloud, which were his enemy's eyes. He aimed the fan in Smog's face, immediately forcing the mass to back off. As the dirty fog fell back, Finn noticed a shimmer in the dark cloud. It appeared to be an amulet of sorts.

Curious as to the meaning of the object, he began running upwards, climbing up the funnel and reaching closer to the item as he blew away any part of Smog that happened to be in his way. Once within reach of the amulet, Finn drew out his free hand to grab it. However, in that moment, Smog resolidified himself.

The being looked like any other humanoid of Ooo, just some shady guy with a scowl. Although, when his physical body finished putting itself together, the amulet briefly let out a powerful aura, regrettingly revealing its purpose. Several of the audience members glared at Smog, pointing and shouting in disapproval.

"Magic! Disqualify him!"

"Kick the wizard jerk out of here!"

"Rule breaker!"

By this point, CB had to agree with them. As much as he wanted to continue testing the mysterious fire elemental's skills, he knew that an unfair match would look bad for Flame Princess. The noble pastry nodded to the announcer, signalling for him to call out the dishonorable magic user.

"Smog, you are hereby automatically disqualified, under the pretense of using magic."

The newly reconstituted being growled at the announcer, and the booing crowd, as he ran across the funnel's surface with Finn. He then set his sights on the hero, giving him a death stare.

"I'm not losing to a fire elemental!"

He lunged across the arena, tackling Finn and causing both of them to spiral down towards the bottom of the funnel, and closer to getting fried by the lava. Finn wasn't completely sure if his new body was as resistant as normal flame beings to extreme temperatures, and he didn't feel like finding out.

He extended the spines covering his lava vine, digging the hooked barbs into the metal of the arena. Sparks flew from the surface as he gradually slowed himself down. In the meantime, Smog roared with frustration and activated his amulet again, exploding into his cloud form. With his cursed weapon preoccupied with holding him in place, Finn had no defense as the treacherous wizard began pummeling him with his briefly solidifying fists.

Cinnamon Bun called to the guards, instructing them to create a series of fiery vortexes with their powers to suck up the renegade Smog. However, Finn heard the order and looked up to the candy person, giving him a gaze that made the knight halt his command. CB read the look in the flame human's eyes, one that he was sure he could distinguish.

A moment later, he called the guards back, telling them to standby.

Finn nodded to the pastry and reset his sights on Smog. He searched until he found what he was looking for; the floating amulet. Yet another piece of advice wafted through his mind.

_The further they keep it from you, the more important it is._

The magical item was floating at the top of the funnel, an area that was quite difficult to reach, especially with the wizard smacking him around every few seconds. However, he refused to give up. There was no way he would allow the vicious beings competing in this tournament anywhere near FP. That was a promise.

Finn tightened his fist, making it burn brighter. He suddenly grew wide-eyed, then smacked his forehead, once again forgetting that he now had access to more abilities than previous times. He raised his hand and aimed it at the amulet, focusing the heat in his palm in order to fire a blast of combustion.

A stream of flames erupted soon afterward, homing in on the magical item. However, the amulet suddenly shifted, dodging the blast as Smog cackled viciously. Finn groaned and tried again. Again, the shot missed. The flame human hit the surface of the funnel, frustrated by his lack of success. His enemy took a few more hits at the hero, worsening his position.

Finn thought deeply, spreading his thoughts beyond his teachings from Rattleballs. His mind wandered into the distant past, thinking perhaps the answer was somewhere in those memories. Then, it hit him. His eyes opened slowly, and he gazed up at the floating amulet. Smog was toying with him, hitting him just enough to slowly loosen the lava vine's spines from the arena.

The flame human raised his hand again, but this time, focused the heat along his entire arm.

Up in the balcony, CB was curiously watching what the young man was doing. So focused was the pastry, he didn't notice Flame Princess reentering the booth. She was about to speak and get his attention, but then noticed the battlefield, gasping quietly as she saw Finn's precarious position. She ran up to the balcony and leaned over the edge, gazing with worry at the fire elemental.

Cinnamon Bun looked over to her.

"Feeling better?"

FP wouldn't take her eyes away.

"Not anymore."

Down below, Finn's arm was glowing brightly, as Smog's gaseous fists continued to bash him on occasion. In an instant, the flame human's limb unleashed four separate bolts of fire, which flew towards the amulet. The audience gasped, none more so than Flame Princess.

_That's...scatter fire..._

The fiery king watched as the four strikes zeroed in. The first was dodged, as were the second and third, but the four hit home, spearing the amulet and causing it to shatter into pieces. Smog stopped his laughing, shocked. In that moment, his body's fog began to clump back together, forming him near the top of the funnel.

As soon as the wizard was back to his humanoid image, he panicked and grabbed the edge of arena, fearful of falling into the hazardous lava below.

"Ah! Somebody help!"

The battlefield suddenly shifted, returning to its normal circular shape. The hole at the bottom disappeared, allowing Finn to safely release his hold on the surface. His lava vine shrunk its spines, returning to its normal form around his arm. Sadly, Finn's cloak was torn from where the sharp objects had to grab hold.

His sigh of disappointment was interrupted by the cheer of the crowd, celebrating his victory as Smog was escorted away by a pair of flame guards. Everyone praised the hero for finishing his fight, regardless of the circumstances. CB was clapping along with the rest, smiling down at the flame human, who turned to the king and bowed as he always did.

Flame Princess was simply frozen, staring down at the individual who had just used a fire ability that very few knew of. Her curiosity only created greater gravity towards the young man, who still eluded her with his hooded face. It wasn't completely obscured, but she would've liked to see his features fully.

If he kept winning, then she would.

"And the round goes to Fenrir, our rising star in this grand competition!"

Further cheers rang out, while Finn turned to walk back to the waiting barracks. FP watched him go, a shimmer in her eyes. Her loyal knight noticed this, and grinned with amusement.

"Have a crush?"

The king was shaken out of her trance by the comment, blushing slightly and staring at the candy person in astonishment.

"Wh-what? No! Of course not! He's just...mysterious."

Cinnamon Bun chuckled.

"Well, at the rate he's going, I'm sure you'll get the chance to talk soon enough."

The knight walked back over to the king's seat, vigilantly standing beside it while her highness took one last look at the departing Finn.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

* * *

Even without seeing the action, Finn could estimate the ferocity of the fights that emerged from the rest of round three. Massive vibrations rang throughout the building, followed by an edgy laugh. The flame human couldn't help but feel tense as the next level was announced. An official walked into the barracks and called Finn out, informing the hero it was his time once again.

The semifinals were going to be a challenge, seeing as only the top four competitors were left. As he walked out into the arena, Finn was immediately met with the cheers of his newest fans, who were eager to see how he'd handle the next foe. The platform didn't appear to be any different than round one, although it could have easily been misleading.

Upon stepping onto the metal battleground, the flame human set his sights upon the opponent. The being was ginormous, easily towering twice as tall as Finn himself. He was a rock elemental, not unlike the one the hero had dealt with at the entrance to the coliseum. However, this one had one quite intimidating feature; the giant rounded orbs in place of where his hands should be.

The rocky being looked down at the young man, grinning.

"This ain't no lightweight, kid. I suggest you just surrender now."

Finn just stared back at the giant.

"I don't think so."

The larger one chuckled and shrugged.

"Your funeral. They call me the Wrecking Ball."

Finn rolled his eyes.

"Shocker," he replied sarcastically.

The rock elemental frowned.

"Alright enough with the wise guy. How about you take off that silly curtain and face me like a man."

The audience was very anxious at this point. Up until now, Finn had managed to keep the cloak on his person, hiding his full appearance. The only features visible were his glowing hands and forearms, along with his shaded face. Finn sighed, realizing he may have reached the end of that particular rope.

Up in her balcony, FP was the most anxious of all. The shrouded fire elemental below her had caused an incredible deal of stress to her; a combination of curiosity, excitement, and dislike of people who have something to hide. She noticed the hooded being shrug, as if giving in, and grab hold of his cloak.

Finn cast aside his cover, allowing the fireproof clothing to fly with the wind into the stands. Several fans, particularly girls, briefly fought over the cloak. In the meantime, everyone studied the newly revealed fire elemental.

Finn's hair was shoulder length, as it had always been, burning a golden yellow instead of the usual red or orange. The activity of his lava vine had shredded the right sleeve of his shirt, displaying the entirety of the cursed weapon's length. It also revealed how muscular the hero had become. The light now being generated from his skin defined the sculpts of his face, causing many of the female audience members to stare at him dreamily.

Flame Princess was anything if not stunned. The young man was incredible. He was poised, confident, yet had a definite hint of compassion in his hard features. He was one to stand by your side, give his well being if necessary, and swear to defend and fight for whatever he found important. Cinnamon Bun had walked back over to the fiery young lady, folding his arms and giving a look of acceptance.

"Well, he's now _officially _my favorite to win."

FP wasn't entirely paying attention, still captivated by the humanoid below. It took a moment, but she suddenly felt an air of similarity, familiar visions that poked at her mind. Studying the fire elemental calling himself Fenrir triggered something, a set of memories that were long unviewed. Laughter, excitement, a sense of wonder and passion. But, also sadness, confusion, and hurt.

The cascade of thoughts became so staggering, that the moment Finn chose to look up at her, it felt like someone had splashed water in her face. She recoiled, giving a light gasp that was luckily inaudible to her loyal knight. The young man quickly looked away again, almost appearing ashamed of gazing at her. She asked herself again.

_Who are you?_

Finn was feeling incredibly exposed, and not because of his now absent extra layer. He was worried that his appearance hadn't changed enough to fool Flame Princess, which would result in disaster. However, after standing there for a minute, he figured that three years and changing species had provided enough physical alteration to hide his true identity. He looked back up to the Wrecking Ball, who was still grinning.

"Lady's man, huh? Sorry, kid, but that's _my _job. You can leave yourself in the crater I pound you into after this is over."

The flame Human took an offensive stance, as WB chuckled wickedly and backed away. The two opponents circled each other, awaiting the first move. FP and Cinnamon Bun were both hesitating to blink, worried about missing something. The majority of the audience cheered for Finn, while most of the wrestling fans in the stands supported the giant rock elemental.

Eventually, Wrecking Ball took the first move, drawing back his arm as if to send a punch, only to perform the motion and fire the massive iron sphere acting as his hand straight at Finn. The flame human was surprised, but by no means incapable of dodging the huge object. The real clincher came when the platform beneath both fighters suddenly began rotating clockwise, nearly causing them both to fall over.

Wrecking Ball retracted his weapon, connected by a heavy chain, then began twirling it over his head like a flail. The momentum of the spinning field made it rather difficult, but his muscles seemed more than capable of offsetting the inertia. Finn dodged another strike, then noticed the field was accelerating its spin.

_If one of us doesn't end this, we'll both be thrown off._

He thought hard about what was at his disposal, a well as the constantly moving battlefield. Ideas connected as he linked the two together. As Wrecking Ball missed another swing, Finn held out his hand, then focused intensely on his cursed weapon. The lava vine slowly slid off of his arm, forming a long object in his grip that was certainly not a sword.

Once the magical vegetation had ceased its shifting, Finn now held a long throwing spear. The Wrecking Ball smirked as the flame human readied himself.

"Ha! A spear! On this type of arena? You've got to be kidding. Eat iron, punk!"

The rock elemental fired his fist again, only this time, Finn dodged underneath it, quickly rolling towards the center of the spinning platform and getting back to his feet. With one good throw, he sent the harpoon sailing towards the massive metal ball beginning to retract to its owner. The weapon struck, digging into the sphere and offsetting its retraction.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Finn ignored the demand and pulled hard on the vine connecting the projectile to his arm. The harpoon reacted, using the inertia generated from the spin of the arena, and pulled the destructive object to him. Once in the center, he used his flame powers to melt the ball to the center of the platform. The Wrecking Ball quickly fired his second hand, aiming to crush his opponent while he was working. Unfortunately for him, Finn was agile enough to sidestep the incoming attack, allowing him to fire his harpoon again and catch the second appendage.

The flame human was careful in pulling the metal orb to the edge of the battlefield, which was now bordering on speeds high enough to throw him off. Naturally, his elemental opponent was too heavy to be affected yet, so it was his issue alone. Acting fast, he fused the second iron ball to the floor, trapping the Wrecking Ball with his own appendages. The rocky being struggled, trying to escape the bindings.

Finn made his way back to the center, just as the speed was starting to become too much for him. He placed his back to the metal weapon stuck there and commanded his lava vine to form into its rope mode, strapping him to the heavy weapon and preventing the young man from flying off.

Over the next minute, the Wrecking Ball began to panic, as his position caused him to become quite nauseous and frightened. The speeds were so great at this point, that the audience could barely see more than a blur from the two fighters.

"Ah! Mommy!"

The rock elemental had lost it, overwhelmed by the intense motion that was being forced upon him.

"Uncle! Uncle! I give up!"

Up in the balcony, Cinnamon Bun pressed a large button on a remote, deactivating the arena's spin. It took a while, but the circular platform finally halted its movements. The Wrecking Ball was shivering and had a facial expression of someone who had seen a ghost. After cutting him from the floor, several guards escorted him out of the field.

In the meantime, cheers rang out for Finn's victory. Those who had previously been rooting for the rock elemental were now encouraging the flame human to fight on till the very end. He gave them a wave, also noticing that he probably wouldn't be getting his cloak back.

As the young man bowed to Flame Princess once again, the king applauded him, giving a smile to the victor. When Finn looked back up at her, he was caught off by the expression on her face. It had been a while since he'd seen that smile, such a long time that he couldn't help smiling back as warmly as she was.

Unfortunately, she was thinking along the same lines, noticing the kindness and compassion etched into the fiery man's face. She found herself blushing, thanking Grob that he was too far away to notice. At long last, Finn turned away, walking inside to await the final fight.

* * *

As before, the moment Finn stepped onto the field, the crowd exploded with praise, wishes of luck, and a multitude of squeals from the ladies in the stands. He gave a few courteous waves and proceeded to examine the battlefield. The platform was no longer even there, all that stood between the fighters and the lava below were several dozen floating masses of rock. He jumped to one of them, then hopscotched to the one in the center of the levitating arena.

Predictably enough, his last opponent was a fire elemental. He stood a bit taller than Finn, with a somewhat impressive set of armor, which cloaked him in sturdy protection while he gazed casually at Finn. His arms were folded, and he snickered as the flame human readied himself.

"So, you've done pretty well for yourself, making it to the finals."

Finn kept his focus.

"You could say that."

The other fire being smirked.

"Well I hate to break it to you, but _I'm _the one who will be standing by the king's side, buddy."

He briefly cocked his head and winked at FP with a grin. In response, the young ruler displayed an expression of disgust and scowled. Finn's opponent paid no mind and faced the hero again.

"The name's Calor, previous champion of the Fire Kingdom."

Finn narrowed his eyes at the statement, but the audience fully gasped. This was the guy who served under Flame King; the strongest warrior the vile patriarch could find to stand by him. Up in the balcony, CB glared at the elemental, while Flame Princess just sent a worried gaze at the mysterious young man whom the former champion was facing.

"Doesn't look too tough. Fenrir will take him down easy."

FP shook her head.

"He's more dangerous than he appears."

Her knight sent a concerned glance to his king, then looked back to the arena. Finn extended his lava vine sword, then raised it to prepare for whatever attack his foe may unleash. Calor smirked then closed his eyes, seeming to focus his energy into some act. With a gasp from the audience once again, a wicked looking appendage sprouted from the being's back. It reminded Finn of a scythe, connected to the end of a spider's leg. The blade-like tip of the limb was nearly white hot, sizzling the rock as Calor set it on one of the floating platforms.

Three more appendages burst out, extending themselves to raise the fire elemental into the air while providing incredible stability for the former champion. He snickered cruelly as Finn narrowed his eyes.

"Well, come at me, noob."

The flame human was not stupid. He held his ground. Calor shrugged.

"As you wish, fool."

With a massive spring, the elemental's arachnid legs threw him at Finn, upon which he used the extra limbs to hack and slash at the hero. The young man fended off the hits valiantly, as everyone watched with sheer nerves and astonishment. FP was nearly cracking the railing of her balcony as her hand squeezed it harder. Cinnamon Bun was whispering encouragement to the flame human, mostly to reassure himself.

However, with four blades slicing away at him, Finn had difficulty parrying anything, having to simply block the whole time. He found a break in which he jumped back, landing further from Calor and immediately switching his sword to its harpoon form. He threw the spear, aiming to strike his foe, but the dangerous adversary just grinned, dodging the initial hit and grabbing the vine attaching it to Finn's arm.

The young man's eyes grew wide as Calor pulled him towards his waiting blades. The flame human retracted his cursed weapon, releasing him from his opponent's grip and allowing him to fall downward. In a panic, Finn formed his lasso and roped it around the edge of the nearest rock. It took hold, but was swiftly cut by one of Calor's scythes. Acting fast, Finn grabbed the bottom of the next closest rock with his hand, returning the vine around his arm as it regenerated.

His foe laughed with glee as he struggled to climb up to the top of the hovering rock platform. Reaching the flat top, Finn panted heavily and gazed at the fire elemental. Calor was suspending himself above the lava, having sunk his four, bladed extra legs into surrounding levitating rocks.

"Hahaha! That was even easier than I thought it would be!"

Finn also had that thought. His opponent wasn't in the least surprised by any of his lava vine's abilities. His eyes went wide.

"You, you cheated. You watched the previous fights!"

Calor raised his hands, generating orbs of dark flames, preparing to blasted the hero off his platform.

"So what if I did? It's only strategic to do so."

Finn scowled.

"It was against the rules!"

The crowd agreed with him, booing the former champion. He glared at them.

"Oh get over it! Can't you see this fool was too weak anyway?"

Flame Princess's flames grew higher as she bared her teeth.

"Calor! You are automatically disqualif-"

"Wait!"

Everyone's eyes were set on Finn, who held his hand up to stop the king mid sentence. She was too shocked to reply, as the flame human got to his feet and extended his sword. He gazed upon Calor, who looked back disinterested. Finn pointed the tip of his blade at the fire elemental.

"You, like several others, have disrespected the king's rules. I can deal with delusional morons who only seek glory, but to outright admit to lying and spit on her words, that is something I won't forgive you for!"

FP stared at the young man with her mouth slightly hanging open, amazed by his words. Cinnamon Bun listened as well. Meanwhile, Calor just chuckled.

"Ooo, I'm so scared. What are you gonna do? I know all your secrets."

Finn took another look up at Flame Princess, who gazed into his amber eyes with her own. The hero clutched the locket beneath his shirt, momentarily setting his fist on fire. He remembered Rattleballs' final advice.

_Open yourself to the heart you have neglected. You'll be amazed at the power you can wield._

"Not all..."

Finn took a stance, channeling his inner fire into the blade he now held with both hands. Taking deep breaths, he closed his eyes and focused on the beats of his heart, synchronizing them with his flowing thoughts, the very forces that drove him to participate in the tournament in the first place.

_The kingdom...I must protect it._

_And what is a kingdom?...It's leader._

_Who is this leader?...The strong and benevolent princess of flames._

_Why do I care?...It is my duty as a hero._

_...And also..._

The flame human flung open his eyes, zeroing in on Calor's four spider-like appendages.

_My heart is still in her hands._

With the aid of his flame powers, the young man dashed forward at incredible speeds, flinging himself into the air and closing the distance between himself and his foe in the blink of an eye. Calor was stunned briefly, then baffled as Finn passed him and landed on a floating mass behind the fire elemental.

"What did-"

In an instant, all four of the vicious man's extra limbs were blown apart, removing his support and plummeting the now screaming former champion into the lava down below. As a heavy splash echoed up the pit of the volcano, everyone watching the fight was utterly shocked. All except Rattleballs, who crossed his arms, grinning underneath his hood while seated among the crowd.

"Well done, Finn."

The flame human slowly retracted his lava vine sword, standing upright and letting out one last breath. His eyes gazed gently forward, as he turned and looked down the maw of the fiery mountain, watching Calor struggle to stay afloat. He stared with absolute disbelief at the hero.

"What was that?! What the heck did you do?!"

His voice was pitiful, revealing the weakness that all cruel individuals hid from those around them. Finn simply stared back, no emotion on his face.

"The shadowless thrust. I learned it from a good friend. And it is because of him that I was reminded where my strength comes from."

He turned away, leaving a pair of guards to fish him out with a rope. The young man faced the balcony, bowing to the still stunned Flame Princess.

"The resolve and strength of my heart are yours to command, your majesty. I humbly request to serve by your side and protect you, and the benevolent Fire Kingdom, from all who threaten them."

The audience finally broke from their bewildered state and proceeded to build up a round of applause. Soon enough, cheers and whoops bellowed as well, filling the arena with overjoyed and satisfied attendees. The announcer declared it officially; 'Fenrir' had won the Tournament of Vulcan.

Cinnamon Bun placed a hand on FP's shoulder, knocking her out of her stare at the bowed young man below her. He smiled, then nodded lightly. The young woman quickly nodded back, returning her attention to Finn. She ignited her flames and swiftly flew down to the arena, with CB following behind with a jump.

The two walked up to Finn, as the arena was returned to its normal state. FP briefly studied the young man's face as he looked up to her. She saw something, but still couldn't quite tell what it was. Finn meanwhile, was intensely nervous, having not anticipated being face-to-face with the king this close up. Fortunately, FP gave up her examination, however curious it made her, and held out her hand.

Finn gently took hold of and kissed it, doing his best to ignore the first time feeling of the girl's actual skin. Regardless of the sensation, he promptly let go and knelt to the ground on one knee. Flame Princess quickly produced a flame sword.

"You've proven strong, noble, and even kind. I'm honored to have someone like you join my guard."

she tapped the fiery blade on the hero's shoulders, then dissipated the weapon.

"Rise, Sir Fenrir."

The young man did so, standing tall and proud, a look of determination and solid righteousness upon his face.

"Thank you, your majesty."

Once last time, the stands exploded with cheers, celebrating the victor they had wanted for so long. Finn looked around at the congratulatory audience, feeling the spark of his heroics growing in his heart. He was a symbol now, a figure of the Fire Kingdom's strength and an aegis to its fair ruler.

He let out a small smile, gazing around the cheering stands.

As he did so, Flame Princess caught something in the young man's eye. A quick shimmer of blue. She did a double take, not seeing it a second time. For a moment, she pondered if it was her imagination. However, the aura she felt from the fire elemental before her refused to allow the growing suspicion to die off completely.

* * *

**_Well, life gets you, just like that. I don't know how much longer I'd be able to keep up my frequent posts. I barely had time to put up this chapter. Don't you guys worry, I'll do the best I can to get you the updates you ask for._**

**_Anyway, I apparently did a bad job of Cinnamon Bun's portrayal last time. I apologize for that, I haven't really captured a good personality for him yet. _**

**nrbuer: Well, Murphy's Law, I guess.**

**Guest: Hm, not quite sure what that's referring to. **

**Brony225: I'll try my best, even though I'm getting sacked by responsibility.**

**Roberto: Thanks!**

**Fiery Crusader: I'll definitely have fun writing those interactions.**

**TheMentalAdventurer: You see soon enough.**

**Guest: Totally agree.**

**Riset36: Yep, wait and see.**

**CuteFoxSage: Neither can I, haha.**

**Ventus Uzumaki: Indeed!**

**TwoStepsback: I'm really liking that people enjoy Finn's development, thanks for the feedback.**

**Mayojar77: I wasn't going for that, it may have just been my jumbled up writing.**

**Guest: True, and I did mess up on CB's portrayal I suppose. I'm really not trying to make him seem like a jerk. **

**I am The7: Man, a lot of people are familiar with Dragon Ball. I never realized it was that influential.**

**Guest: Two words: thank you.**

**Forgotsurname: Very "bleh" indeed.**

**Poseidon666: Thanks! it's good to hear from you.**

**Gold Testament: As fast as I can.**

_**Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!**_


	6. Necessary Lies

Necessary Lies

Finn gazed out into the open lakes of lava and heated rock, trying whatever he could to keep himself distracted from the two people sitting in front of him. The flame human was in Flame Princess's royal carriage, on the way to the palace, where he'd be oriented to his responsibilities and new living conditions. It was honestly overwhelming to the young man, especially due to the high chance that the fire elemental was still staring at him.

Unfortunately, he was absolutely correct. FP wasn't even blinking as she gazed at the mysterious fire being on the opposite seat of her royal transport. Cinnamon Bun was following Finn's example, staring out into the scenery. For a split second, the hero snuck a peek back at the king, immediately regretting it and darting his eyes back out the window. His face was a bit reddened. The fiery girl noticed.

"Fenrir, why are you so nervous?"

Darn. A question. It was a sad truth that it would be difficult to operate at all in the Fire Kingdom if Finn was asked too much. Lying was illegal, and he would have to, at some point, break the law. Swallowing his nerves, he went ahead and kept his honesty intact, seeing as it wasn't a mind-boggling question.

"Just…wondering why you're still staring at me."

He wasn't looking, but FP blushed quite hard and swiveled her face away, embarrassed. CB looked over between the two, smirked with amusement, then turned back to the outside. Silence ensued for a particularly long time, due to Flame Princess's now nervous composition, but she didn't feel right not responding, no matter how awkwardly late.

"Oh. I see. Well, to be honest, you remind me of someone, a lot."

Finn was afraid of that. He mentally groaned, seeing as this may have been a bad idea. He briefly thought PB should've just reconstructed his face too. However, she hadn't had the time for that. In any case, beggars can't be choosers.

"That's…interesting," he replied as casually as he could.

FP mumbled an affirmation of sorts, but it trailed off as she looked down to the floor. It took a few more minutes before Cinnamon Bun found the quiet unsettling.

"Why don't you tell us a little about yourself, Fenrir?"

The young man cursed in his mind, not sure if he was ready to deal with more questioning. Regardless, he had to keep his cool, as the two people accompanying him were the most important to stick with during his task.

"Well, I'm an adventurer of sorts, traveling around, seeking perils, fighting monsters, the works."

Flame Princess's expression further grew into one of surprise. Finn knew what she was thinking. CB spoke up, luckily, before the king could reply.

"A fire elemental traveling around Ooo? That's quite unique."

The hero faked a sad sigh, although it had some truth to it.

"Actually, I was an orphan, abandoned in the wild. I was fortunate to be found and raised by some nice folks, but they're gone now."

He looked at his two companions, figuring eye-contact was more convincing.

"It's been a while though. I've gotten far since then."

Flame Princess still appeared to be examining him. Her amber gaze drifted down to his right arm, where the lava vine sword lay wrapped up to his shoulder.

"What exactly is that thing?" she asked curiously, pointing to the thorny object.

He raised his arm, as if studying it himself.

"It's a magic weapon. I bought it a while back, but the guy didn't mention it would become stuck to me forever."

CB and FP seemed quite stunned by the explanation, eyeing the vine with awe.

"Wow, that's some purchase," the fire elemental responded.

"It must have cost a fortune."

_Dang it, _Finn thought.

"Well, actually, it was pretty cheap."

The royal and knight stared at him, confused.

"How cheap?" FP asked.

Finn did his best to keep a calm face.

"Three bucks. It's kinda cursed."

CB seemed to shift his expression to one of pity, while Flame Princes remained curious.

"Cursed sword…where have I heard that before?"

She pondered to herself, until Cinnamon Bun snapped his fingers.

"That's right, Finn had one of those. He kept talking about it; remember?"

The candy person instantly regretted what he'd said, as far as the flame human could guess. The king's facial features dropped to one of solace, then quickly corrected itself to a blank stare. She turned to look out the window, remaining in that pose.

"I'm sorry, princess," CB stated as he hung his head.

The fire girl didn't look back as she replied.

"It's fine."

Even though she refuted any effects the topic may have brought up, FP stayed quiet for the rest of the trip, saddening her two knights. Finn however, had a mixture of curiosity somewhere in his mind.

_Dang it, Finn. Keep yourself focused. You're here to protect, not to do…__**that**__._

Shaking his head helped remove the stray thoughts. But it was too late now. It was there, in the back of his mind.

* * *

The ruler of the Fire Kingdom was welcomed back to her palace with flawless lines of guards paving the way inside. As she walked through the border of loyal defenders, CB and Finn flanked her on either side, showing off quite the image to the flame citizens who managed to sneak a glance at the king's new personal protector.

Once inside, the lines dispersed, returning to their posts are various points around the throne room. As far as Finn could tell, security had increased significantly compared to his last appearance. It made sense. With an assassin on the loose, there could be no gaps to Flame Princess's person.

FP stopped them at her seat of power, then looked up at the ceiling. Her knights did the same, spotting the infamous lantern that hung there. Inside, the former Flame King stood leaning against the glass wall, as if waiting for something. Don John was meditating, not giving the slightest attention to the arrival of the king. FK however, instantly caught interest and gazed down at the trio. His face was somewhat excited.

However, upon seeing Finn, his face turned into a frown.

"Who the heck is this loser?" he growled.

FP took a step forward, glaring up at the tyrannical being.

"Fenrir here is the one who proved victorious in the tournament, dad. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of him. As such, you'd better show him some respect. After all, he beat you're precious champion Calor quite easily."

Finn shrugged, feeling like she exaggerated a bit. In truth he'd almost lost, or died. Meanwhile, Flame King looked shocked.

"Agh! That idiot! I knew I should've picked a more competent assassin!"

He immediately covered his mouth.

"Whoops."

The trio below him was stunned.

"**He **was your assassin?" FP questioned.

Beside the evil fire elemental, his fellow inmate snickered.

"Looks like you failed, sucker."

Flame King growled, then swung around to face Don John.

"Shut up! It's not like yours will do any better!"

The entire throne room gasped. Even the flame lord had wide eyes. However, this quickly became a scowl.

"You idiot! Now they know what to look out for!"

"That wasn't part of the plan!"

"Yes it was! I was expecting your stupidity to throw them off, but apparently I underestimated how dumb you are!"

"Aaagh! Take this!"

FK socked the flame lord in his face. Don John didn't react much, and punched back. The two swiftly got caught up in a fistfight, completely losing focus on the group down below. Flame Princess sighed and turned to face her knights.

"Morons."

She eyed Finn directly.

"So, Fenri-, Fer-, Fenr, ugh, I'm sorry. It can be a little difficult to say your name."

Cinnamon Bun tried to give a helpful hand.

"How about we just call you Fen?"

The flame human obviously noticed how ironically fate was twisting him. He could tell from the look FP had that such a name was clearly similar to another she knew. However, she submitted to the advice, nodding.

"That sounds like a good idea. Do you mind?" she inquired.

Finn shook his head.

"Not at all, princess- I mean, your majesty."

He frowned at the ground, thinking he'd made a mistake. However, he soon felt FP's hand on his shoulder. Looking back up, he found the young woman giving him a humble smile.

"Fen, along with Cinnamon Bun, you'll be the closest person to me at all times. It makes sense to be a bit less formal."

Finn was briefly surprised, then quickly nodded and tried to smile back.

"Oh, alright. Thank you."

FP chuckled.

"No problem."

The flame human was truly feeling the effects of being reunited with the fiery girl. Her gorgeous appearance, her maturity, her laugh; it all tortured him so much, especially in his chest. Meanwhile, she had her attention drawn by a palace servant, speaking to her about some citizen's problem or other. Finn suddenly felt himself being pulled aside by the arm. Looking over, he found CB dragging him to the side of the room.

"Hey, what's the deal?" he asked with slight irritation.

The candy person gave him a serious look, which immediately shut him up.

"Listen Fen, I can tell you're a great guy. You've got coolness, vigilance, and heroic qualities that this place sure could see more of."

Finn furrowed his brow.

"Where are you going with this?"

Cinnamon Bun leaned in closer, whispering.

"Since there's two of us now, we can each take turns protecting Flame Princess. You have a good heart, Fen, and I think it would be good for her to have you hang around often."

He motioned for the young man to look over to the fiery girl.

"She's constantly overworked. As much as I care for her, I don't quite have the heartfelt know-how to talk things out all the time. You on the other hand, have some experienced passion in that ticker of yours."

He nudged the hero in his chest, smiling.

"So what do you say? Can I trust you to be her best friend?"

Finn had been picking apart the bun's words for the past minute. Long ago, the final words he heard from the candy person struck him like a dagger in his heart. No matter how hard he concealed his dormant memories, that one in particular hurt no matter what. He looked hard at CB.

"Then what does that make you?" he challenged, almost aggressively.

Cinnamon Bun was a bit taken aback by the reply. However, before he could answer, Flame Princess walked over to them.

"What are you two talking about?" she casually asked, smiling.

CB grinned back, the motioned to Finn.

"I think it's a good idea if I go run the security drill with the newer guards again. What would you say to Fen escorting you around for a while?"

FP eyed the flame human, who kept a stoic face. She smiled gently, then nodded.

"Sure. That sounds nice."

She momentarily placed her hand on CB's shoulder. The knight nodded, then walked off. As he was leaving, Finn could see him over Flame Princess's shoulder. He turned around, walking backwards, and motioned to the fiery girl, as if saying 'talk to her'. The young man didn't reply, since that would look obvious to the fire elemental, and did his best to smile.

"Shall we go?" he inquired, gesturing to the entrance of the palace.

FP nodded warmly then slowly made her way towards the gate, accompanied by Finn on her left.

* * *

Flame princess led her newest protector to the magma gardens near the palace, where she explained she went to whenever there was free time to unwind and relax. Her job was difficult, no doubt about it, and such relief was precious gold to her. Finn enjoyed hearing about her life; it felt as if she were filling the gaps that he'd missed due to being out of the loop with her for the past several years.

Noticeably, as they walked past a bed of fire lilies, the nearby flame citizens stared at them. Finn assumed it was since FP was there, but there was more to it than that. Any of the watchers that were girls around his age were giving the king a fairly resentful look, any guys they passed discreetly gave the flame human a thumbs up and grin, as if congratulating him, but not on his victory from earlier.

Everyone else just gazed in awe, smiling sweetly and tilting their heads to the side. Finn brought himself shoulder to shoulder with the fiery girl and whispered to her.

"What's the deal with all these people?"

FP looked around, apparently noticing the stares for the first time. She let out a brief laugh.

"I suppose word hasn't spread yet about you. They probably think you're another suitor."

_Another?_

Finn swallowed his thoughts and proceeded carefully.

"Oh. Do you get a lot of those?"

Flame Princess stopped by a line of flare lotuses, floating in a lava pond, kneeling down to take one.

"Every once in a while. They all turn out to be awful though."

She stood back up, examining the flower.

"Besides, I don't need a spouse or anything like that. I do just fine with myself. Plus, Cinnamon Bun helps a lot. I guess in a way he's like my royal partner."

Finn cringed a tad from that comment, but kept it in.

"He's...a good man."

FP nodded, smelling the lotus.

"Indeed."

She started up walking again, with her knight close behind. Neither spoke for a time, as they gradually circled the gardens, looking at and smelling the colorful flora. Eventually, they made it to the portion of the area that bordered a small lava lake, which bubbled and boiled somewhat peacefully.

However, as they stopped to watch the flowing molten rock, FP frowned sadly, gazing upon a prominent boulder that disrupted the majestic scenery.

"Ugh, that dumb rock has been there for weeks. I've asked them so many times to move it."

She approached the boulder and ignited her fist, apparently preparing to take care of it herself. However, Finn suddenly placed his hand on hers and lowered the flaming fist.

"Wait. I think there's a better use for it."

Flame Princess was a bit startled, but curiously stood by as the flame human backed up. He framed the boulder in relation to the fiery ruler, examining multiple angles as he tried to find the best positioning. In the meantime, the fire elemental was actually blushing slightly at all the attention.

"Um, Fen, what are you doing?"

The hero stopped moving, deciding on a spot.

"Perfect. Stay just like that."

He raised his arm, extending his lava vine sword. FP felt nervous.

"Seriously, what are you doing?"

The young man smiled a little.

"Giving the garden one more flower."

Flame Princess tried to inquire further, but was startled as the boulder behind her instantly shattered, causing her to yelp and jump forward. She landed against Finn's chest. The two briefly stared at each other, before FP shoved herself away.

"Are you nuts!?" she shouted.

Finn appeared rather ashamed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted it to be a surprise."

The king furrowed her brow, puzzled, then turned around, instantly shocked by what she saw. The boulder had been sculpted with absolute precision, now the splitting image of the fiery woman herself. The dark yet shiny surface of the material greatly portrayed FP's every detail, down to a gentle smile on a set of stone lips.

All around her, Flame Princess could hear the citizens walking around stop and gaze in awe at the newly formed creation, whispering of its majestic quality. The fire elemental herself studied the statue with unyielding fascination. Her rock-based copy stood tall, vigilant, and inviting, a true representation of the king. Finn had added all of that himself, since she'd just looked like a confused girl when he'd performed the actual cuts.

Finally, the ruler turned back to Finn, seeing he was still a bit saddened by the initial negative response to his 'artistic actions'. He sensed her walk up to him and stop, causing him to slowly force his eyes to meet hers. Startlingly, he found her smiling.

"That's…amazing."

The flame human stuttered as he responded.

"Oh, yeah, well…I mean, inner strength can be just as impressive as attractiveness, so I figured…"

He basically trailed off, feeling his face burning hotter than usual. In the meantime, Flame Princess tilted her head with that wondrous curiosity that never left her.

"Did you just…call me beautiful?"

The hero was feeling intensely uncomfortable by this point.

"Uh, basically," he managed to spit out.

Silence ensued for a moment, as the two just stared at each other. Then, FP burst out laughing, stunning Finn. She wasn't mocking him, it was actually quite comical the way he was acting. Eventually, overcome by some hidden joy at hearing her laugh, the young man did the same, sure that everyone around them thought they were off their wagon.

After a minute, the two calmed down, letting out the last giggles and smiling at one another. However, the moment FP looked at the hero again, she grew an expression of utter shock. Naturally, this worried Finn.

"What's wrong, princess?"

She pointed a shaky finger at his face.

"Y-your eyes! They're blue!"

Finn could swear his body temperature was sliced in half as he heard those words. He quickly turned away, covering his eyes and snapping his lids shut. He felt Flame Princess's concerned hand on his back a moment later.

"Are you alright, Fen?"

The young man slowly took away his hand, then nodded while cautiously returning his sight to the king.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I forgot to mention. It's some strange genetic disorder that pops up every so often."

As he finished the sentence, his irises reclaimed their amber tonnage, normal once more. FP gazed with interest, although Finn could sense another emotion hidden in her facial features. He mentally cursed himself. That blue; no one else in Ooo probably had his original eye color. As he stood there, being examined by the fire elemental, he could practically feel his cover being pulled off like a cloak upon his shoulders.

"I see. I've never seen one of our kind with such a condition."

Finn could hear the subtle suspicion in her voice, but decided that she was letting it slip.

"Yeah, it's really weird."

Suddenly, a horn could be heard in the direction of the palace, drawing all attention to the distance building. FP sighed.

"Looks like our walk is over. Time for business."

She definitely looked disappointed. Finn remembered what CB had said about her being overworked, feeling sorry for the young ruler. His goal drifted into mind. Protect the kingdom, protect its ruler. Support; as far as he could tell, that was a type of protection. He placed a hand on the young woman's arm, giving a small smile.

"Come on, me and CB can totally help you with that."

The fire elemental was at first caught off by the gesture, but gradually regained her composure and smiled back.

"That means a lot. Thank you."

Finn nodded, then motioned for his king to walk ahead, as he filed in beside her.

* * *

The palace was indeed crowded when Finn and Flame Princess returned. Even before she got to her throne, the ruler was assaulted by requests, pleads, and various other inquiries. Finn kept them at bay with his arm, earning an appreciative grin from his king. Cinnamon Bun greeted them at FP's seat, which he stood by as they approached. After Flame Princess sat down, the candy person turned to them both and put on a interested look.

"So, how was your stroll?"

FP grinned at her friend.

"Wonderful. Fen is such a gentleman."

The flame human hid a blush as the girl briefly grinned at him. While she wasn't looking at him, CB sent Finn a thumbs up and a nod. A moment later, a young handmaiden walked up to the throne, holding a platter with a cup of tea. She bowed to the king, then offered the beverage.

"You know the rules," FP stated.

The girl glanced nervously at her highness.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. I just got my braces in and can't eat or drink for a while."

Flame Princess frowned with a sigh.

"Well, I guess we'll have to get someone else to-"

The cup was quickly snatched off its plate, catching everyone's attention as Finn took a small sip. He clicked his lips a few times, then placed the drink back.

"It's clean," he said matter-of-factly.

The others stared at him for a moment, before Flame Princess slowly took the tea from her handmaiden.

"Thank you...Fen."

She seemed unsure, but generally grateful. The servant girl bowed once more, then was off. She was replaced by a messenger, who plowed his way through the complaining crowd and ran up to the throne in a huff. After panting heavily for a second, he tried to speak.

"My king, there is a-"

Flame Princes held up her hand.

"Hold on, first my tea, then I'll take the message."

"But-"

Cinnamon Bun stepped forward.

"Please, sir, be patient."

The man looked extremity stressed as he watched the fiery girl sip her beverage. Taking advantage of the quiet moment, and still occupied within by thoughts on her new bodyguard, she struck up a conversation.

"So, Fen. Do you by chance…know Finn the Human?"

The hero tensed up, worried that she might ask that very question.

"I know _of _him, yes."

FP looked over to him, almost appearing to be observing his reaction to the talk.

"Have you ever met him?"

Was it technically a lie to say no?

"I haven't."

The king took another sip, then peered into the steaming liquid.

"You and him are so…similar. Not just by your traits, but also by physical appearance. It's almost as if you were twins."

Finn grinded his teeth as he felt a drop of sweat magma grow on his neck. FP chuckled.

"I suppose that's impossible, since you're a fire elemental and he's a human. But still, maybe…we should invite him to the kingdom. You two could chat it up. I'm sure you have much in common. And…"

She frowned.

"It's been a while…since I've seen him."

She gulped down the last of her tea, now with a determined expression.

"That's what I'll do. After so long, I want to know how he's grown."

Finn was nearly shaking. By this point, he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Finn the Human is dead!"

As those words reverberated off the walls, everyone in the throne room went silent. Cinnamon Bun's mouth dropped as he stared at the young man with his massive black eyes. The flame citizens all stood still, not quite sure they heard him right, but at the same time knowing that his echo was obviously loud and clear enough to be certain of his sentence.

"Wh-what?..."

FP's voice hurt Finn's ears, regardless of how quiet and weak it was. He dared to look the young woman in her eyes, seeing only the infection of despair and disbelief setting into her amber irises.

"No…y-you can't break the law…you can't lie…"

Finn held his hardened facial features, clearly trying to communicate his certainty to what he said. Hesitantly, the messenger stepped forward.

"M-my king, that's actually…what I came to say."

Flame Princess turned her head to look at the man, a growing vision of grief enveloping her face.

"Finn's brother found his tree house burned to the ground earlier today. He said that Finn had been inside."

FP's breathing was spotty at best, as her mouth trembled and hand gripped her seat with such force that even the volcanic material was beginning to burn. While the dead silence continued, she shakily got to her feet, gazing at the ground with her pupils shaking. After what seemed like forever, she dropped her tea cup, letting it shatter to the floor. With that, the girl slowly put one foot in front of the other, turning to the nearest set of stairs leading further into the palace.

The single sound that was heard were the clanks her armor made as she walked off, exiting the throne room while all eyes gazed after her. Finn felt his chest cringe, a great pain emitting from the beating force beneath his ribs.

He had just spoken the most devastating lie that he could possibly inflict onto the princess.

* * *

**_Man, it's ridiculous how much attention this has grabbed in only a short time! _**

**nrbuer: At least the season finale gave a brighter outlook for season 6. **

**Awolfx9: I know, It's been forever since an update. Life sucks sometimes.**

**Guest: I'll do my best, even with life junk.**

**Fiery Crusader: Good advice, thanks!**

**CuteFoxSage: Sorry for following it up with a sad moment.**

**TheMentalAdventurer: Hm, never thought of it that way, thanks for the feedback.**

**kojh0124: All of that will be answered, soon.**

**Guest: I wouldn't say that, but I do agree about the reviews.**

**Guest: Beautiful quote.**

**Guest: We'll see how it goes. I do want to include a bit of drama after all.**

**Roberto: Well, not soon, but there it is.**

**Bio team2: I WILL!**

**Mayojar77: Heh heh, good instincts there**

**Ventus Uzumaki: I did. I just don't get to check my inbox that often.**

**Poseidon: I'll definitely try.**

**Holahello: Man, so many of you guys are cool with waiting. Makes me feel bad that I can't do the same for myself.**

**Kaiser Luigi: Glad to hear I made them exciting enough.**

**I am The7: Haha, those would probably just burn up.**

**trystrike: Glad to hear it.**

**SCIK1012: Nope, I never heard of that show until you mentioned it back in chap 17 of CoT.**

**TheCrazyFilipinoGirl: I wish it were sooner, believe me.**

**PricetoPay: Hm, not quite sure how that ties in.**

_**Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!**_


	7. Wounds of a False Dagger

Wounds of a False Dagger

What little sunlight pierced the dark clouds of the Fire Kingdom was now fading, signaling the end of the day and the omnipresent night that was sure to follow. Most everyone had left the palace throne room by now, especially since business had been brought to a screeching halt. In fact, the sole occupants of the area were the guards and Finn, who was leaning sadly against the wall beside the throne.

For hours on end, he remained here, pondering on what he'd done earlier. Cinnamon Bun had eventually rushed off after Flame Princess, having not returned since. The hero had been passing the time by drawing in the volcanic floor with his lava vine sword, stamping them out and restarting when he ran out of room. Noticeably, whenever he casually looked around, he saw several of the guards staring at him, before quickly turning away.

He was sure they were downsizing him, for what he'd inflicted on their fair ruler. Finn couldn't blame them, he himself still felt excessive shame for the utterance. Soon enough, the palace gate opened, revealing the messenger from earlier. This time, he had an envelope in his hand as he rushed to the seat of power.

Panting once more, he approached Finn and held the fire-proofed item out to him.

"A message… from Jake the Dog… addressed to her highness."

Finn nodded, telling the man he'd deliver it for him. The fire elemental thanked him graciously, slowly lumbering away to rest. The flame human stared at the letter, wondering what his brother had to say. Figuring it was better than sticking around being glared at, he made his way for the stairs, heading for Flame Princess's room.

He didn't exactly know the palace well enough, other than the time he snuck in with Jake many years prior. Even then they traveled via the ventilation ducts, making it more confusing to scour the endless corridors. He eventually came to a dead end, further frustrating him.

"Ugh! I hate this!" he shouted to himself, punching the wall.

At once, there was a low, but strong growl from behind him, causing the young man to freeze. He quickly swung around, a bit startled by what he saw. A massive fire wolf stood a few feet from him, blocking the only way out. Finn backed up against the wall, as the beast came closer. Sweat formed on the hero's neck as the powerful animal got right in his face, bringing its muzzle within inches of his face.

"Uh, hey there, JT," Finn said nervously.

The wolf was staring him straight in the eyes, not aggressively, more like curiously. He took a whiff of the flame human with his large nose, attempting to identify him. Finn still looked nervous as the fire creature stopped its sniffing and resumed simply eyeing him down.

Suddenly, Jake 2 licked his face.

Finn was startled, even ignoring the slobber now all over his cheek. The fire wolf sat down, almost appearing to be smiling at him. Cautious, Finn carefully reached out a hand to the animal, who didn't seem intimidated or reluctant to allow it. Finally, the hero brought his hand down on the top of Jake 2's head, rubbing the fur in a motion that his brother had always liked.

To his pleasant surprise, the wolf let out a relaxed noise, indicating that he enjoyed it too. Finn couldn't help smiling as he moved his hand down to scratch behind JT's ear.

"Heh, good boy."

Soon, he stopped the scratching and finally regained full calmness.

"Can you take me to your dad, buddy?"

The fire wolf barked once, then got back to his feet and turned around, strutting confidently down the hall, at which point Finn followed. Jake 2 certainly knew where he was going, turning sharply and without any evidence of second guessing himself. Finn admired the hound's abilities, following closely behind as they turned corner after corner and proceeded up and down numerous flights of stairs.

Eventually, one last turn brought them within view of a clearly out of place presence; the blue, flame shielded Cinnamon Bun, sadly leaning on the wall next to a door. As Finn and Jake 2 came close, he spotted the pair and put on a surprised face.

"Fen? Jake 2? How did you-"

His fire wolf walked up and nuzzled its master in the side, happy to see him. CB momentarily dropped the questioning to pat his loyal pet on the head.

"Good to see you too."

The candy person then turned to Finn.

"He led you here?"

The hero nodded. The bun looked stunned.

"Strange. He's almost never instantly friendly to someone he just met."

Cinnamon Bun smiled.

"I guess you're one great guy, Fen." He chuckled.

The flame human attempted a grin in response, but resided with just a soft grunt of acknowledgement. Soon, CB called for Jake 2 to sit nearby, as he turned his full attention to the young man. His expression was serious, but at the same time sad.

"I'm sorry for saying this, but I don't think you made the best delivery of that statement earlier."

Finn hung his head.

"I know."

He figured the knight would give him the same guilty feeling as the guards. Although, he heard CB sigh.

"Although, I suppose it wouldn't be much different if the messenger was the one to say it."

The young man looked to the pastry, studying his features.

"What do you think of it?" he asked casually.

Cinnamon Bun let out a breath.

"Finn… He- he was a good guy. Always risking his safety, having fun, saving princesses. But, he never quite got the hold of knowing when it was time to get serious. Last I saw him, me and Flame Princess had recruited him to help take back the kingdom during Flame King and Don Jon's coup attempt."

He stared out the nearby window.

"The kid kept trying to get close to Flame Princess, refusing to keep to the mindset of being professional. I had to step in repeatedly to make sure the mission was successful. There were some bumps along the way, but we managed to stop the two morons and get the throne back."

CB frowned, looking at the floor.

"Finn left afterward, looking, honestly, hurt."

The flame human could feel his subconscious thoughts tightening the lava vine around his arm.

"I couldn't imagine why," he responded, not without a hint of irony.

Cinnamon Bun turned to look at the young man, a look of uncertainty upon his sugary features.

"What do you mean?"

The knight had noticed the sarcasm buried in Finn's reply, catching him in the act of tying his past to his current identity. The young man mentally cursed to himself, realizing he was close to another mistake. He proceeded carefully.

"Well, as far as I know, he really had a strong feeling for Flame Princess. Then, right in front of him, you just blurted out that you loved her."

He tensed up, feeling excessively awkward discussing such a topic under the current circumstances. Meanwhile, CB was staring at him, almost in shock. Jake 2, with all his canine instincts, reacted similarly, setting now two pairs of eyes on the young man, making him nearly grind his teeth. However, instead of some reaction that Finn had not even guessed, the candy person sighed, then gave the hero a solemn gaze.

"Fen, I'm in my thirties, nearly twice as old as her. Don't you think that's a little farfetched?"

If there was glass in the flame human's mind, it certainly would've shattered at that moment. Astonishingly, he internally slapped himself for not thinking things through. How stupid could he be? How clouded was his judgment that fateful day? Why had he never reexamined the points-of-view?

It was too painful. After the Candy Kingdom burned, his sorrow drowned all his emotions, all his previous pains, all the hurt he felt for the incorrect things he'd done. Nothing was left except a vast sea of solace, leaving behind only the driftwood that was his impeccable heroic nature. That was all that remained, guiding him forward as he rebuilt an entire city and closed off his heart.

Cautious that it would complicate his cover, the hero held back tears, overcome by the breaking chains in his mind. Cinnamon Bun absentmindedly scratched Jake 2 behind the ear as he returned to staring at the floor.

"I love her like a person loves the earth. She offers me guidance, shelter, a warm heart to fill me with hope and energy. In return, I pledge to protect and serve her, fully willing to give up my small compared life for hers."

He shifted his sight to Finn.

"Finn was unfairly exposed. I, in my age, had a clear picture of what I mean when I said that, and so did everyone else. He, however, was still just a kid. He took it the wrong way. The worst part is, once I noticed how he never returned to the Fire Kingdom, I started blaming myself for his despair."

The candy person closed his eyes.

"At this moment, I have but one wish; to apologize to his grave."

Finn remained silent, not wanting to disturb the revelations of the past few minutes with the ripple of conversation. He did however, hold out the letter he'd gotten from the messenger, which CB took and examined. He made his way to the door, knocking gently. He waited. Finn thought he heard footsteps inside, coming closer.

Sure enough, the entrance slowly creaked open, revealing the ruler of the kingdom. If Finn was distraught before, the scene certainly made it worse. Flame princess was in her white dress, which she wore underneath her royal armor. Her hair appeared to be as if it were doused; a light maroon. As for her face, it was set in stone-like blankness. Regardless, Finn saw how dim her amber eyes were, as well as the faint remnants of lines running from her ducts down to her chin.

CB didn't speak, instead simply handing her the envelope, which she grasped and turned around to open and read. He and Finn waited, anxiety growing in their minds. Finally, FP turned back, appearing no different. She handed the open letter to the candy person, retracted her presence, and quietly shut the door.

Once the footsteps disappeared from earshot, Cinnamon Bun laid his eyes on the page, reading it for himself. Upon completion, he looked up, back out the window. He let out a breath.

"It seems… I'll get my wish."

* * *

Ooo had held a massive gathering to commemorate Finn and his deeds, the attendance numbers being easily in the hundreds. A massive space of the grasslands had been packed with nothing but citizens, common folk, dignitaries, and countless other inhabitants of the land who wished to pay their respects to the fallen hero.

However, Princess Bubblegum, along with Jake and Marceline, had organized a second, private, event for the following day. The list for those allowed was grossly shorter than the previous one. Aside from Finn's closest friends, only the royals of Ooo were permitted to join in around the smoldering remains of the tree house, wanting to take a moment of silence for the greatest champion of the lands.

Jake 2 streaked across the skyline, nearing the hill atop which the willow once stood. The pile of ashes and cinder had been left untouched, preserved and used as a memorial. It was hoped that eventually the blackened material would seep into the ground, enriching the soil and blossoming a plethora of flora, protected in Finn's honor.

The flying wolf's approach was soon spotted by everyone at the event, all gazing in awe at the strange creature. Once the loyal hound touched down, three figures jumped off, all wearing dark crimson cloaks with their hoods up. The largest one stood by the shortest one's right, while the middle one stood by its left. The trio proceeded through the group of princesses, who all knew who they were.

The reason for the cloaks was due to the shortest one's guilt.

Finn eyed the gathered royalty as they carefully walked on. It suddenly occurred to him that there was a huge problem. PB would obviously pretend she didn't know him, but people who had seen him recently, such as Jake or Marceline, would be much too suspicious of his strikingly similar features.

Panicking inside his skull, he desperately scanned the faces of mixed emotions around him. Then, he spotted Muscle Princess, who he was about to pass in front of.

_Perfect._

As the young man walked by, he 'accidentally' shoved past her. The princess instantly reacted, just as he'd hoped.

"Hey! Watch it, punk!"

Finn stopped mid-stride, giving his best glare from his minimally exposed face.

"You got a problem?" he replied irritably.

Muscle princess growled.

"Yeah…"

She drew back her fist.

"You!"

The hit was admittedly painful, as expected from the strongest royal in the land. Finn flew to the ground, groaning as he struck the grass. His companions stopped as well, worried as to the disturbance. They both walked over to the fallen flame human, with CB helping him up.

"Are you alright, Fen?" he asked.

The hero's head was actually quite woozy, but for the most part he was conscious, nodding.

"Yeah, I'm good."

Cinnamon Bun frowned, disagreeing.

"That's some nasty swelling you've got there. And a black eye's not helping."

The young man shrugged, shaking off the comment.

"I'll live. Let's just keep going."

The candy person nodded, motioning for the cloaked FP to move on. In the meantime, Finn brushed off his legs and went up to Muscle Princess again, who glared at him and formed her fists. Before she could pummel him further however, the hero bowed respectfully.

"I'm very sorry, princess. That was completely unacceptable."

MP was bewildered by the statement, releasing her aggressive poise.

"Oh… um, alright. Just remember to think before you talk, got it?"

Finn nodded.

"Of course. Thank you."

He walked off to catch up with his two companions, leaving behind a confused and curious Muscle Princess and all the other royals who had witnessed the entire thing.

At long last, the trio reached the head of the assembly, at which PB, Jake, Marcy, and BMO were all standing. The candy monarch was silently staring at the burned out wreckage, just as the others were. However, upon hearing the new arrivals, Finn's closest friends all turned to examine the three Fire Kingdom visitors. Bubblegum stepped forward, as did Flame Princess. The pink lady gave a small bow.

"Thank you for coming, Flame Princess."

The fiery ruler didn't reply, so Peebles shifted her gaze to CB.

"Cinnamon Bun," she nodded.

"Princess," the knight replied.

PB finally looked at Finn, a bit confused by his apparent bulging cheek and eye. Discreetly, the young man darted his eyes towards the others, at which point the gummy woman understood. CB gestured to the flame human.

"This is Fenrir, the king's newest protector."

Bubblegum nodded.

"I see. May he serve well."

PB backed off, allowing Jake to come up to FP and look up at her. He instantly noticed the distant expression on her face, adding to his own misery.

"FP...…"

He struggled to get it out.

"Finn could never say this to you, but…"

He sighed.

"He… he loved you."

Jake had thought hard about it, and decided that his brother would want her to know for sure.

Several of the group heard a sizzling at the fire elemental's feet. No one acknowledged it, but deciphered what it was quite easily. More silence ensued as they waited for a response from the king. None came. Instead, she stepped forward, passing the magical dog and walking to the edge of the ash pile. It was there that she hung her head, as if trying to glimpse the human's remains through the debris.

Jake came up alongside her, along with Finn and CB. The canine sighed.

"Even these past few years, while he was toiling away at rebuilding the Candy Kingdom, I knew he was hiding those feelings."

For the first time in days, the princess reacted, appearing stunned as she swung her head to face the dog.

"What?" she asked weakly.

Jake looked concerned, but pressed on.

"Well, three years ago, a little after your dad tried to retake the Fire Kingdom, the Candy Kingdom caught fire, like, full-on 'burning to the ground'-type fire."

He hung his head as well.

"We all pitched in to save the place, but Finn… he tried using the save as an attempt to impress you, which cost the city a lot more damage than it would have."

The yellow canine brought his eyes to the fiery girl's.

"He was so ashamed, he insisted on fixing everything himself, which he eventually did. All his time, completely set on putting the buildings back together, piece by piece."

FP's mouth was trembling, open and in shock.

"Three years…"

Jake nodded solemnly.

"He stopped being a kid that day, he grew up, selling away what was left of his childhood to make things right."

After another moment, Flame Princess fell to her knees, her hood falling and allowing her dimmed hair to fall and nearly touch the ground. The others were initially surprised by how weak the young lady looked, but decided not to push the issue. More sizzles were heard, along with a wisp of smoke rising from the space in front of FP's knees.

Finn and Cinnamon Bun lowered their covers as well, gazing at the ashes along with everyone else. They might have all been suffering, but Finn knew very well that his pain was nowhere near as much as the collective amount his actions had produced. CB stepped forward, taking a knee and bowing his head to the remains. Finn saw him mouth a few words, instantly realizing what he was doing. The sight caused a painful jolt in his chest.

_Look around, Finn. Their pain, all caused by you. _

The princesses, somber and silent.

His friends, holding strong, being brave for their beloved companion.

Cinnamon Bun, finally letting out his own single tear, which soaked into the blackened wood.

Flame Princess, crippled, letting all her tears flow out as she stifled her sobs. A mute fountain of pain, with broken pieces of a heart floating on top.

_All this, to save her life. But even so, do I have the right? After all of this…_

_Do I have the right…to love her…_

A sizzle sounded at Finn's feet, as his eyes closed to squeeze out the downpour.

* * *

**_Not much to say. Still amazed by how fast this story is grabbing attention._**

**nrbuer: I won't believe any of it until I see an episode.**

**dead for life: I'll do my best to give it to you.**

**Fiery Crusader: Those are good reasons, thanks for sharing.**

**Guest: Haha, wow, thanks.**

**Mayojar77: Hm, I forgot what that analogy means.**

**Bio team2: Really sorry, but I've got to lay on just a little more hurt.**

**Roberto: As soon as can be.**

**Riset36: Indeed I will make it last a while.**

**Ventus Uzumaki: Thanks.**

**Rick: It's all good. I'm not exactly troubled for reviews with this one, lol.**

**valdezn: Thanks, that's what the aim was.**

**TheMentalAdventurer: I won't stop, but I'll definitely try to yank your emotions along the way.**

**trystrike: Ooo, predictions already. Nice to know.**

**randomreader: Thank is literally the best thing I could hear about the effect of my stories.**

**Brony225: Nope, just a coincidence. Recycled ideas from season 4.**

**Posiden666: I will!**

**Awolfx9: Yeah, love the drama.**

**joshuadee9028: Wow, that was so much wrapped into a review. I'm grateful for your support to both me and the couple. (And the file won't let me type the periods in your name. Stupid thing)**

**kojh0124: Plan? Well...I don't. Practically all of it is off the top of my head.**

**I am The7: I was totally open to the idea.**

**Writingsterner: Ok.**

**Holahello: Whoa, that felt like watching a voice-over for a movie.**

**PriceToPay: I appreciate your patience.**

**Jessi-chan9867: Yes, as much drama as I can pack into 3-4k words.**

**necro-wulf: I'm glad that I was able to implement some philosophy into this. It really deepens the feel of it.**

**Jinouga: I juggled around who would be the one to say it. Thought that Finn would be a bit more sudden and startling.**

**SCIK1012: =-O...Oh my, I hope you're still there to read this.**

_**Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/(overwhelming) reviews!**_


	8. Ardent Notes

Ardent Notes

The citizens could've sworn, with the effect of recent events, that the skies of the Fire Kingdom were denser and gloomier. Even the Earth itself seemed at a standstill. Volcanoes seemed to weep their molten payloads, rather than violently gushing out the steaming lava within. The land was in such indisputable sync, many had begun the rumor that their kingdom's physical state was directly linked to the emotional exertion of the king.

Even Cinnamon Bun could not argue with this. As he stood by, sorrowfully gazing upon the despondent ruler, there was no doubt that the realm she commanded was in the same dire mood as she was. Flame Princess hadn't changed her facial expression once since they attended the private funeral for Finn. For the last four days, she'd been as quiet as possible. During those times she absolutely had to speak, such as when business was on the table, her voice was monotone and hollow.

CB knew she wasn't all there. A large part of her was likely hiding away in the corners of her mind, desperately trying to get past her most brutal ordeal to date. The candy knight himself still felt awful, having never had the chance to explain to Finn himself that things were not as they seemed between himself and FP.

Or so he thought.

Shrouded in his ultimate disguise, Finn stood opposite CB, staring into the ground. He, like the king, had not demonstrated much activity for several days. When asked to perform a task, he would comply silently, nodding and going on his way. But there was something else bothering Cinnamon Bun, something that was right in front of his eyes and yet ambiguous enough to avoid being obvious.

Flame Princess suddenly stood up, seeing as the line of aid-seeking people had dwindled to nonexistence. CB watched her turn and head up to her chambers, with not so much as a 'goodnight' to her two protectors. The candy person knew he was to follow, as either he or Finn had to be posted at her door whenever she had retreated to the room. However, he'd had enough of going through the same routine every day. There had to be a way to restore life to the benevolent ruler of the Fire Kingdom. And her knight.

He faced the depressive flame human.

"Fen."

It took a moment, but the fiery young man nudged his head in the bun's direction and slid his empty pupils across the surface of his eyes, meeting sights with his comrade. However, he remained silent.

"Fen, do you think maybe, tomorrow, you could take FP out for another walk or something?"

He fully faced the hero, drawing him into the conversation.

"She seems to really react to your company, perhaps it would-"

"She hates me."

Cinnamon Bun nearly recoiled, not expecting the sudden reply.

"What? What do you mean?"

Finn remained in his position, half-heartedly participating in the talk.

"Haven't you noticed? Ever since we got back from the funeral, she's been going out of her way to never look at me."

The sugary knight's senses froze.

_That's it! That's what I've been seeing!_

Before her could respond though, the young man continued.

"I blew it. I gave her the news, I hurt her, I don't deserve to be acknowledged by her."

CB took a step forward.

"Fen, that's not true! You're kind-hearted, noble, and always put others before yourself."

He placed a hand on the hero's shoulder.

"How could anyone hate you?"

The fiery young man let out a breath, then backed away, out of reach of the bun's attempted comfort. Then, he turned, walking away into another portion of the palace. CB noticed Jake 2 go after him, whining, as if he could sense the distress Finn was in. Once the two were gone, the vigilant knight tightened a fist, frustrated with the situation.

_No. I'm not letting this go on._

He retired from the throne room, heading off to his post in order to fulfill his duty to the king.

* * *

All the hallway torches burned a dim red, reflecting the current time of day and giving the appropriate light setting for anyone walking through it, considerate of those who may already be asleep. Cinnamon Bun quietly rounded the corners, fast approaching FP's bedroom. Once reaching the correct door, he hesitated.

For all he knew, she would simply shout at him to leave her alone. After all, it hadn't been that long, and he knew she still cried on occasion. It also occurred to him, exactly how much did she care for Finn? She never spoke of him, or indicated anything as to her stand on their relationship.

On the other hand, she slipped up her feelings recently, with none other than Fenrir, her newest guardian. Something about the young man stirred up memories of the human, feelings that CB thought felt were more than just friendship. The knight shook his head, seeing as he was sidetracking himself. He knocked gently on the door.

Waiting was tense, since he still expected an outburst. The bun was heartily surprised by the reply.

"Come in."

He almost didn't, thinking he misheard. However, not wanting the chance at direct discussion slip by, he twisted the knob and entered, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Flame Princess was at her balcony, staring off into the distant lava lake beside the palace. Cinnamon Bun's legs felt cautious as he approached her, as if they believed that coming any closer would shatter the solemn moment. Eventually, he stood behind her, wondering what exactly to say or even how to begin.

"I…I just wanted to ask…"

He was shuffling his feet absentmindedly.

"Are you…upset with Fen?"

FP's head raised slightly, her attention attracted. The young lady turned around, revealing a confused expression.

"Upset with him? Of course not."

She spoke with absolution, as if the very thought was preposterous. Cinnamon Bun tried to proceed carefully.

"Then why have you been avoiding him?"

She crossed her arms.

"I haven't, you've seen that yourself."

The knight could've sighed. She was dodging the real question.

"You know what I mean, FP. You refuse to even make eye-contact."

He frowned.

"He's hurt, thinking that it's all his fault you're like this. Can't you at least explain why? Is what he believes true?"

Flame Princess looked at him for a moment, then turned around, shifting her arms from being simply folded, to gripping her sides.

"No. I'm just not ready to face him."

The reply certainly brought confusion to the knight, who tilted his head with curiosity.

"Why?"

It was quiet for a moment, then the girl wiped away something from her face and sniffled.

"Every time I look at him, all I see…is Finn."

Cinnamon Bun's eyes went wide, as all of his theories and contemplations suddenly were laid to rest. The candy person walked up next to FP, placing a hand on her back as he leaned over to look at her face. Her eyes were closed, but he could still see a rim of shimmering lava on her lids.

"Flame Princess, what were your feelings for him? From what I can tell, you've been keeping them locked up, seeing as you never spoke of him throughout these years."

At that point, FP's eyes flashed open, gazing out at the horizon once more.

"No, but, I did_ think_ about him, many times."

CB's insight grew with every word that came out of her mouth. He was also thankful that she was speaking so much. It was good for her.

"Way back then, when my dad tried to retake the kingdom with Don John, I had hoped Finn would be serious enough to help, but he still wouldn't accept where we stood as far as a relationship."

She lowered her sight to the edge of the balcony.

"But, despite his immaturity, how could I knowingly say I have no sense of feeling to him?"

The fiery girl ran her finger along the volcanic rock of the ledge.

"It may have been indirectly, but he was the one who freed me from the accursed prison of my lantern. When I was alone, utterly confused by my new surroundings, he gave it everything he had to help me, even if it meant being burned."

FP twisted her neck to look at Cinnamon Bun.

"He even taught me that fire elementals don't have to be evil. We can choose our own alignment, and that is how I reshaped the Fire Kingdom after dad was out of the way."

She looked back at the lake.

"If you really think about it, Finn is the one who set the foundation for this place. I could never give him enough gratitude for what he did. I understand that the Fire Kingdom would've never gotten here if we didn't break up, but…"

The ruler looked to the ashen skies.

"No one ever said that break ups have to be forever. Even if I could take an hour or so out of my day, for him, we could've started over."

The sizzle of lava tears met the floor.

"Fate however, played the cruel trickster. After all the waiting, the hoping, the thought of Finn actually returning here every once in a while, the world comes down on me and makes sure that I'll never get the chance to tell him I never stopped-"

Her words cut off after that. She sniffled again, hugging herself. It was silent for a few minutes, until Cinnamon Bun stepped over and leaned on the edge with her. She resumed a moment later.

"What Jake said, it was like the universe was mocking me. Finn had spent all this time, growing up while burdening himself with such guilt. He finally understood the importance of a kingdom. Then, just like that, I was too late to admire the young man he had grown to be."

She stuttered her breathing, then sobbed for a minute. Cinnamon Bun took her in for a comforting embrace, as his sugary skin was soaked with bits of molten rock. He waited for her to get the worst out before finally speaking again.

"If what you told me is true, then you've been a fool."

Flame Princess nearly gasped, stepping away.

"Excuse me?" she stated indignantly.

CB looked her in the eyes.

"You haven't thought of the other perspectives."

The fiery ruler couldn't speak, too shocked by the knight's words.

"Finn **isn't **gone. The universe, I all its divine wisdom, left you a part of him."

FP was still confused.

"I-I don't understand."

Cinnamon Bun smiled gently.

"Tell me, what do you see in your new protector?"

The fire elemental slowly lowered her head, pondering the question for a moment. CB watched as she brought her hands together, then laid them against her chest. Her eyes grew closed.

"I see…everything that I loved about Finn, and everything I hoped he would become."

The girl felt her champion's hand on her back again. Looking upon the pastry again revealed that he was still smiling. He gestured to the door.

"He left you a guardian, someone to carry on his feelings and vows. How do you think he would feel, knowing you are avoiding his final show of how much he cared for you?"

'The Wise Cinnamon Bun' was never a title that anyone in Ooo would ever think to use, but in that moment, Flame Princess could not think of any greater phrase. She threw herself into her knight, still letting out some stray tears. The bun hugged her back, secretly feeling his own type of satisfaction at his success.

"Thank you," was all his king said.

* * *

FP could hear nothing but her own steps as she made her way through the corridors of her own palace. It had been a good ten minutes of random wandering, an attempt to find her second protector.

_Where could he be?_

She sighed, losing faith by the second. However, just as the fiery sovereign was about to give in, a sound stopped her dead in her tracks. She remained unmoving, determined to know if it was just a trick of the ear. Aside from the crackling of the torches all around, she could have sworn a note was just played.

Sure enough, another rang softly through the halls once more. Intrigued, FP tracked it, practically jogging down the pathways as she heard the notes get stronger. The sounds led her to a fairly unused portion of the palace. It contained the library, along with a handful of ceremonial artifacts, and, as far as Flame princess could remember…

_A piano._

Struck with renewed wonder, the young lady rushed towards the large doors serving as the entrance to the chamber of knowledge she so rarely stopped by. Just as she was about to kick the doors open, she restrained herself, realizing that if she did, the music would likely stop. Instead, FP opted for gently placing her hand against the flame-resistant wood and pushed. Luckily, it didn't even creak.

Instantly, the playing became louder, clearly the source of that wondrous tune. She crept up to the edge of the overview, as the actual library was a two-story circular room, keeping all the books on the top floor, with an inner lower floor containing the relics and piano. Flame Princess set her hands on the railing as she leaned over to see what was happening.

Gentle and controlled fingers were tapping down on each white key of the delicate instrument. Eyes closed, golden fiery hair dimmed, Finn sat in command of the beautifully carved device, delicately ringing out synchronized notes that produced a calm and graceful tune. FP stared at the flame human, entranced by the entire scene. She knew that song, it was well renowned, not just in her kingdom, but all across Ooo.

Suddenly, the music was cut off, as if the vocal scoring had been torn. She heard a frustrated sigh from the one playing the large instrument. Finn briefly opened his eyes, studying the keys beneath his fingers. He seemed to be attempting to remember the rest of the piece. A moment later, after taking a deep breath, he started over.

Flame Princess slowly walked to the stairs, listening intently the entire time. Her step was in sync with the music. She practically felt like dancing. Her nightgown swayed in the movements of her body, as she lost herself in the enchanting sounds. The stairs especially fit perfectly into her movements. Some of the notes were spread out, indicating her hesitation to intervene on the pianist; others were full of energy, representing her urge to find company in the young man below.

At long last, she reached the bottom, just as Finn broke off again, cursing under his breath. Once more, he started from the beginning. Flame Princess approached one step at a time; every five notes brought her closer to the hero's back. As the music dragged on, it was almost as if it were ushering the ruler to hurry up. This quickly turned to anticipation, as she now stood almost next to him and sensed the music drawing to the portion Finn couldn't play.

She tried to step forward, but found herself too nervous. The notes came closer to the abrupt end. FP subconsciously bit her lip, unsure of what to do.

_Just do it, FP. Go._

Even after summoning her best courage, the fire elemental just couldn't make her legs move.

Finn, totally absorbed into his playing, noticed the part coming up that he struggled with. He knew why, and it was an old scar upon his heart. The piece itself was a classical song, popularized especially one night at the under-reconstruction Candy Kingdom. Finn had recently finished restoring the night club, and the lovely couple of Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig had decided to celebrate its return by inviting everyone for a romantic date night.

Naturally, Jake and Lady Ranicorn had come, as well as the party bears. Even Xergiok and his mermaid lady came along. Finn offered to be the pianist at the engagement, committed to making sure everyone around him was happy. Near the end of the night, after numerous slow dances and enjoyment, TT requested Finn to play that song, as her and her hubby hit the floor.

Their performance was so persuasively cute, every single couple joined in on it. The human sat there, urging on the joyful pairings in front of him with his notes. It was there, halfway through the piece, that each couple in the building joined their lips in passionate bliss. The sight, while making the hero smile, secretly struck a weakened chord in his heart. A single tear had dropped from his eye that night, and it just so happened to splash onto the last key for the song.

On the final note, Finn felt the salty hidden pain seep into his skin.

He never played the song again.

After so long, the piece was scattered in his mind, but also less painful to play. After all, he was now isolated from that emotional beating in his chest, choosing instead to give his efforts into helping those around him. Regardless, he now wished he knew that second half. The very portion he struggled with suddenly was upon him. He struck the last note he could remember.

Only to hear the next parts begin to play.

Disbelief suppressed his startle, instead allowing him to calmly turn his head to observe the fiery girl now sitting next to him on the bench. She had her eyes closed, expertly continuing the music as Finn sat in shock. After a minute, FP set her amber gaze on him for the first time in days. To her utter delight, it was not painful or difficult to hold the stare.

The Finn she knew had been reflected onto the young man sitting next to her, who was gazing back at her with the same thoughts in mind. Subconsciously, his hands reached for the keys, instantly joining in to the song. He had no idea how he suddenly remembered the rest of the notes.

FP knew he was happy before he did, smiling as the flame human's eyes slowly shifted to blue. It didn't matter who the person beside her said he was; to the fiery girl, those were Finn's eyes.

Her magical smile. The hero felt like crying just then. Instead however, he chose to simply smile back, then closed his eyes and returned to the keys. Flame Princess did the same. The two poured out the beautiful tunes, letting them fill the circular room and drift off into the walls of the palace. Those who were asleep smiled in their dreams, those who were awake immediately felt a joyful memory sweep across their mind.

High above, leaning against one of the room's support columns, Cinnamon Bun watched with a wide grin as his fellow knight and ruler sat beside one another, content as could be, sharing a wonderful melodic mantra of joyful moments and passionate thoughts.

_Thank you, Fenrir. I can protect her person, but only you, can protect her heart._

* * *

**_This chapter was written using leftover emotion from reading the latest of SCIK1012's "Flanella"._**

**_If you haven't read, you really should. NOW!_**

**nrbuer: Well, I kinda check the wiki practically every day. I see nothing of darker episodes.**

**kojh0124: Thanks for the morale boost, sorry for the depression.**

**Riset36: Feel kinda bad for making a second feels chapter then. Oh well.**

**LepreKanZ: Good to know, thanks!**

**Bio team2: *feeling bad for junking up people's hearts***

**trystrike: Gotta love it.**

**dfinkel70: I KNOW!**

**Rick: Going for maximum heart twisting, makes it that much better on the upswing.**

**Jinouga: ...no.**

**SCIK1012: *Phew*, you're alive. What a relief. And yes, I'm super excited!**

**Roberto: Yep, the whole story is aimed to be crazy emotional.**

**Mayojar77: Oooooh, ok. Now I get it.**

**Brony225: I'm sure he'll get to that soon.**

**Writingsterner: I will!**

**CuteFoxSage: I do often wonder how much crying this causes.**

**Jessi-chan9867: I think I'll stick with making him a wise fellow. Seems to fit nicely.**

**Ventus Uzumaki: Thanks.**

**Fiery Crusader: Those are good considerations. Thank you for the feedback.**

**Posiden666: You're too kind.**

**Guest: Flattered.**

**TheMentalAdventurer: That's very good to hear. Thanks for you're input.**

**I am The7: Yeah, I was going to do it anyway.**

**randomreader: Indeed it did.**

**TimeManipulator99: Gotta throw in some darkness for dramatic effect.**

**Kaiser Luigi: Thank you.**

_**Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews! **_


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